WEBVTT 00:00:00.186 --> 00:00:05.396 >>Student: Do one side and then the spider crawled up the house and then... 00:00:05.396 --> 00:00:08.356 >>Heather: Playful learning to me is seeing the joy on the children's face 00:00:08.356 --> 00:00:10.500 when they're learning something new. 00:00:10.776 --> 00:00:15.816 So seeing them smile, seeing them be able to use it in context 00:00:15.816 --> 00:00:22.100 when they're playing, because they've learned it through play from us. 00:00:22.346 --> 00:00:26.316 When I see them giggling and laughing, but still doing what I've asked them 00:00:26.316 --> 00:00:27.656 to do, I say, "Yeah, that's it. 00:00:27.656 --> 00:00:28.500 That's great." 00:00:36.316 --> 00:00:39.300 >>Storyland is oral storytelling. 00:00:40.096 --> 00:00:46.356 My students are learning the basics of writing, but they're learning it orally, 00:00:46.796 --> 00:00:49.536 which is where they need to learn it in kindergarten. 00:00:49.686 --> 00:00:52.856 They need to learn the oral part of it because they can move 00:00:52.856 --> 00:00:55.000 into the written part as they get older. 00:00:55.000 --> 00:00:58.500 >>Once upon a time, tell me about your beautiful house here. 00:00:58.500 --> 00:01:00.200 >>Student: One day, a spider... 00:01:01.000 --> 00:01:05.200 >>Heather: And I cover each table with a tablecloth and it becomes that land. 00:01:05.200 --> 00:01:10.596 So, you know, the land of fall, the land of water, the land of snow, 00:01:10.596 --> 00:01:12.246 so all of those different lands. 00:01:12.626 --> 00:01:15.800 I change them up so that they're not always the same. 00:01:16.396 --> 00:01:18.800 What we play with is nature-based. 00:01:19.200 --> 00:01:24.766 I had acorns, I have pine cones, I have shells, I have pieces of wood. 00:01:25.236 --> 00:01:29.186 I do have animals out so that they can add those in. 00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:36.026 I put out the baskets with all the nature items in it, and then they come 00:01:36.026 --> 00:01:40.006 in very quietly and they gather the items that they want to play with, 00:01:40.006 --> 00:01:42.476 and they bring it to their land of choice. 00:01:50.056 --> 00:01:54.106 And then they create whatever they're making, 00:01:54.106 --> 00:01:56.500 the house, the trees, whatever it is. 00:01:57.000 --> 00:01:59.226 And they start telling their story, you know, to themselves, 00:01:59.226 --> 00:02:00.656 or sometimes with a partner. 00:02:00.656 --> 00:02:03.106 >>Student: I think this is actually real. 00:02:03.166 --> 00:02:04.996 This is real, so we tuck down... 00:02:04.996 --> 00:02:08.045 >>Heather: And then I circulate and I walk around and I make sure that I touch 00:02:08.045 --> 00:02:10.895 in with every child at least once. 00:02:10.895 --> 00:02:14.676 >>Student: And then this ran away and then they jump back up there... 00:02:14.676 --> 00:02:17.536 >>Heather: So then, as they play Storyland, I'll go around and I'll say, 00:02:17.536 --> 00:02:19.336 "Okay, what's the setting of your story?" 00:02:19.336 --> 00:02:21.826 and then they orally tell me what the setting is. 00:02:21.826 --> 00:02:25.636 >>Student: And this is the water where he swims. 00:02:26.136 --> 00:02:28.666 >>Heather: If we're working on characters, I'll say, "Okay, 00:02:28.666 --> 00:02:30.646 who are the characters in your story?" 00:02:30.646 --> 00:02:34.800 >>Student: It was birds flying and some butterflies. 00:02:34.900 --> 00:02:38.400 >>Heather: It was birds flying and then their friends were butterflies? 00:02:40.446 --> 00:02:44.376 >>Right now, I'm trying to work on more of a beginning, middle and end. 00:02:53.156 --> 00:02:57.556 >>And so when they get to grade one, if they can orally tell the story, 00:02:57.556 --> 00:03:00.786 they can hopefully start to put something down on paper. 00:03:01.736 --> 00:03:04.856 It's magical to them and they love it, so that's a good way 00:03:04.856 --> 00:03:06.526 for them to start their writing. 00:03:06.526 --> 00:03:10.926 >>Student: I make this goat never get his chocolate peanut butter-- 00:03:10.926 --> 00:03:13.396 >>Heather: Oh, look, and I think someone's at the door. 00:03:13.396 --> 00:03:15.406 >>Student: That's a bear. 00:03:15.466 --> 00:03:18.000 Hello. Who's there?