Clever Fox Storytelling

'How Wee Learn' instantly had me interested when I noticed a feature on Storytelling. http://www.howweelearn.com/storytelling-social-stories/
I was anxious to read the tale of the Clever Fox, until I discovered halfway through the article, the story is no longer posted publicly, but can be purchased for sale. Though I'm all for supporting artists, I wasn't interested in forking out $10 for a story, when I knew it would be more productive to come up with something in a combined effort.

After we made Foxy (https://mamadrool.blogspot.ca/2015/01/felting-fingerpuppets.html) and strung together a pipe cleaner of patterned beads (hello math!), I asked O & Baby C to select three animals to take part on 'stage'.
Rabbit, deer and owl were cast, after some strong negotiations!

We positioned the actors in the Forest Diorama as the set.
https://mamadrool.blogspot.ca/2015/04/for-love-of-trees-forest-diorama.html
Then I inquired about activities they might find the actors engaged in, when Foxy arrived.
"Rabbit is eating lettuce."
"Deer is playing checkers."
"Owl is writing letters."

Then we had to find ways that Foxy could get into a little mischief.
"Stealing"
"Yelling"
"Hitting"
And lastly, alternatives to his mischievious behaviour.
"Share."
"Ask."
"Hug."

After O & Baby C co-wrote the script, my only job was to string it along in a story!
We used the beads, as suggested in 'How Wee Learn', to walk Foxy through the reminder to "Stop and Think Think Think" before taking angry actions.
My audience was completely captivated as their plot came to life!

Unfortunately, I will not remember the story word-for-word tomorrow, (my guess is that my audience will correct me when necessary!)

EXPAND ON STORY-TELLING

Show Me A Story. One of my favourite purchases for the homeschool library. Emily Neuburger introduces 40 handwork activities to combine with story-telling. Paired with the book below, these are fantastic tools for capturing the art of story.

Tell Me A Story. True to Waldorf Education, this book separates stories by seasons. Storytellers have contributed their home-spun tales, making this a diverse read. Stories are short and can be combined with lessons, or introduced when families are struggling through an issue at hand. If you are nervous about ad-lib, this is a great starter.

Aesop's Fables. These have been on O's top ten since she was two. Animals come to life in these classical tales about morals. Illustrations in Charles Santore's version are lifelike!