"Tell Me a Story" Box: Birds of a Feather

Painted $1 birdhouse treasures from Michael's Craft Store 

Storytelling is one of the most important life skills we can teach our children.  For critical and creative thinking skills to develop, we must provide opportunities for our children to process new ideas and connect the dots of language development.  That is why it is so important to read aloud to young children and engage them in language-rich communication experiences...such as storytelling.

The Fireflies' "Tell Me a Story" Box  

was created to help children become confident communicators.  You won't want to miss our next Chasing Fireflies Podcast when we discuss why oral language experiences are important and how you can use the Storytelling Box to encourage storytelling in your home.

Check out this post,

Create a “Tell Me a Story” Box, 

to learn more about Fireflies’storytelling.

"Birds of a Feather" Storytelling Prompts

Suggestions for this month’s Storytelling Box:

• Small birdhouses or images of various birdhouses
  Michael's Craft Store has a variety of small wooden birdhouses for $1
• Birds (images or miniature birds)
• Small nest or materials needed to build a nest
  pine needles, straw, small pieces of fabric, etc.
• Small twigs/branches to be used for trees
• bottle caps for bird baths
• seeds (leftover popcorn?) to feed the birds should they become hungry during the story
• An object from one of the books enjoyed together (ie Hugo's Eiffel Tower!) 

Meet "Red Bird", "Sunflower", and "Colorful Bird"!
Check out Chasing Fireflies Podcasts to learn more.

It's time to bring your TMAS Box out of hiding and place it in a special place.   When your child sees it, they know that there are new surprises (storytelling prompts) in the storybox, and that it’s time for another storytelling adventure!   With great enthusiasm, open the box, slowly pulling out each of the bird-themed items (with awe in your voice).  The first few times, you may want to begin by modeling a story.  If you do, make it simple and short - you do NOT need to incorporate every item in the box in your story!

Encourage your child to tell a story and applaud the effort they put forth.  You may need to ask a few questions just to help the story along, but allow the story to be fully owned by the child.   Remember that the goal is to develop confidence and rich communication skills in your child.  You want them eagerly anticipating the next family storytelling adventure!  When you hear a gasp when they spy the TMAS Box, you know you've captured their imagination and created the beginnings of a wonderful family legacy tradition.

Chasing Fireflies Podcasts:  5 year old Davis rolled up the bird images as he told his story
and placed them in their homes.  Now why didn't I think of that?  

1.  Keep a recorder close by and record each TMAS experience.  You don’t want to miss a single family legacy storytelling gem. 

2.  After you have shared this month's Chasing Fireflies book selection, or your own favorite books about birds, engage your child in conversations about birds before asking them to create their own story.  Children must have a reference point; information on which to hang their ideas.

3.  Fill your family “Tell Me a Story” Box with items that reflect this month’s theme; Birds of a Feather. See the suggestions listed above.

4.  Be sure to make your storytelling time an event.   Your voice and body language should express excitement and anticipation.  Both should convey that something magical is about to happen!

5.  Keep storytelling time short.  I really think there can be too much of a good thing.  Keep your child engaged by letting them tell just a few stories and leave them wanting more.  Put the box away until next time and make sure your young storyteller knows you cannot wait to hear what they come up with next time!  For 5 year olds, aim for a 10 - 20 minute experience and add 5 minutes for every year.  The bottom line? You know your child better than anyone else.  You will be able to read when they are becoming disinterested or frustrated.  Try to finish before the storytelling experience becomes a negative one.

5.  Don't forget to listen to our the TMAS Box Chasing Fireflies Podcast where we discuss this topic and share a real TMAS Box exchange with a dear 5 year old storyteller!  Subscribe in iTunes.

Deni Corbett

Storybox: Being Grateful for a Person, Place & Thing

LOVE LOVE LOVE how this Fireflies Verbal Comm idea turned out!  
This idea began with the purchase of Rory's Story Cubes which I love with two exceptions: size and images.   Wanting  a larger size for little hands and the ability to control the story prompts (images), I decided to create my own.

Last November's post:
Magnetic Family Personalities  is also a favorite of mine, and since we are focusing on GRATITUDE this month, I combined both ideas and came up with our second "Tell Me a Story" Box.

The result?
I am thankful for the "People, Places & Things" God has given to me!  Read on...

While visiting our local Michael's store (a must when I begin brainstorming), I found a bin of  2 1/2 inch wooden disks for 29 cents.  

Next, I picked up some paint and a few other supplies and headed home to begin this project - The Fireflies' "Tell Me a Story" Box: Person, Place, & Thing.

Keeping in mind that we are creating these verbal comm projects for young children, I decided to use three colors to distinguish between nouns [person, place, & things].   The idea is for children to pick up one of each and create a story using all three.   Depending on the age of your child, you might use these as simple image recognition circles, vocabulary identification prompts, and/or story starters.   For older children, add a color and introduce verbs (action words).   Obviously this verbal comm project is flexible and will accommodate all developmental stages and communication skills standards.  

The Process

1.  Paint your wooden circles.

2.  Print out 3 inch square images of family members on regular paper or card stock and affix them to one side of the circles using Mod Podge (I seriously love this stuff...)  If you have never used it before, apply some to the back of your image and press it firmly onto your wooden disk, smoothing out any bubbles.  Wait about 20 minutes until basically dry and then apply a top coat to your image.  Mod Podge will dry completely clear.

Crop each image to a 3" X 3"square and print out.

Cut your images into circles.

With a paint brush apply Mod Podge to back of images
and press firmly onto wooden circles working out any air bubbles.

Brush Mod Podge on top of image after waiting about 20 minutes.

3.  Identify nouns with your child during a conversation about gratitude.  "I am thankful for...(name some people, places, & things)."  I am thankful for my family, for my home, and for books, flowers, etc.    Encourage your child to come up with their own list and take pictures so that their storystarters are customized to your family and personal to your child.  

NOTE:  I'm working on my own "I am grateful for..." list, and it's apparent that I'm going to have to make another run to Michaels for more wooden circles!  In the meantime, here is the start of my collection.

4.  Place the finished Person, Place, & Things Circles in your "Tell Me a Story" Box and begin creating family stories.  Turn the disks over and have your child select at least one from each category.  Remember that the stories can make sense or be totally fanciful.  Also, they do not need to end cleanly - just have fun creating a situation, a moment, something that might happen in a complete story.  The creative communication process is what really matters.  Don't forget to keep a journal nearby and document your original family stories.  (Oh, and Mom and Dad must take a turn creating their own stories too!) 

We hope you will enjoy being together as a family "chasing fireflies" while creating memories and stories with your Fireflies' Person, Place, & Thing Storybox!

Create a Fireflies' "Tell Me a Story" Box, LINK.

Don't miss our next "Tell Me a Story" Box Idea
Sidewalks & Shoelaces!

Deni Corbett

Create a "Tell me a story" Box

Just what is a Fireflies' "Tell me a story" Box?

Today's young children are living in a media-flooded environment.  For critical and creative thinking skills to develop, parents must provide opportunities for their children to process new ideas and connect the dots of language development.  That is why it is so important to read aloud to young children and engage them in language-rich communication experiences.

The Fireflies' "Tell Me a Story" Box provides opportunities for unique family experiences that encourage language-rich communication adventures!  It's a win-win...

Steps to creating a family "Tell Me a Story" Box:

1. Choose a box.
   I love wooden boxes and found this gem at one of the many antique shops I have visited over the years.  As I walked through the house looking for the perfect storybox, I decided that the one, that once held teabags, would be a perfect Fireflies' "Tell Me a Story" Box.
   
   

   
   

Select items. (imagination story prompts)
Each month we will suggest items to place in your box - items that will be used to "Tell Me a Story"!  Because the target audience for the Fireflies' Blog is young children [ages 3 - 8], I suggest you place only 3 - 5 items in the box.  Even though we will give suggestions based on a Fireflies' theme, please feel free to use your storytelling box anyway you want to with your family.  

I chose the following items for my storybox:
-piece of blue cloth
-small box (because of our theme this month)
-bottle lid
-rock
-twig

The idea is to choose items that children will identify immediately, but can become something else, or have another imaginative use.

Once items are selected and placed in the special storybox, set the tone for engaging in this language experience.   "Oh Davis, I can't wait to show you our new special box. It's called a secret (surprise) storybox!  Oh I hope before bedtime we can..."  You get the idea - create anticipation. 

Show your child the "Tell Me a Story" Box and open it to reveal its contents.  I revealed each one individually and ceremonially...

Hold up the blue cloth
Q.  What is this?
A.  All of the answers will very greatly depending on the age of your child.
Something blue, blue fabric, a piece of blue material, etc.

Q.  Yes, that is exactly what this is...but when we get it from the storybox, it can become anything we want it to be.   If we use our imagination, what else could this be?
A.  The goal is for your child to get use to suspending what they know to be the "right" answer and begin thinking creatively.
The sky, water, a glass of water, spilled paint, a rug or blanket.... (Oh the possibilities!)

For this first introduction to storytelling, simply go through each item in the box asking first what the item is, and then following up with what it could be.

Finally, using great enthusiasm and excitement, explain to your child that whenever they see the storybox [on the kitchen table, or coffee table, or in the child's room], that means that they will create their very own stories using the special items they find in the storybox.   

Keep the first session short by introducing your child to your family's storybox & creating anticipation for the first family storytelling adventure.

Oh, and once you begin telling stories as a family, keep a recording device close by.  You are going to want to capture these family legacy moments on video...I promise!

During our next "Tell Me a Story" Box post I will share why I am so passionate about storytelling and the growth that comes from engaging in this activity as a family.   We will also provide ideas for story starters to place in your storybox.

HOMEWORK:  Go find a wonderful storybox for your family storytelling adventures and meet me back here next month!   

What items did you select for your storybox?  Send us a picture of your storybox!

Deni Corbett