A Better Story

Learning to tell our own story differently is an easy idea but a very difficult thing to start to do.

Remember the story about the gingerbread man? 'Run, run, as fast as you can; you can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man' - yes that one.

A parent was volunteering in a kindergarten class once upon a time, and read that story for reading time. Reading with enthusiasm and joy the children were enthralled - so much so that the teacher interrupted, "Now children, we know that gingerbread men can't talk, the can't run, and neither can the animals. We know this, right?!" And she led the young, impressionable minds in an affirmative nod (showing them the right response).

But in the story the gingerbread man does talk (and taunt), and the animals can answer back. In the story, the way it's told, the way the story goes.

By the way, the teacher's critique of the story of the gingerbread man and the way the real world is didn't work. The children nodded in agreement that they understood their teacher's instructions, but just as quickly went back to the story with an eager request, "Read it again! Read it again!"