WEBVTT 00:00:00.186 --> 00:00:05.266 (Child) Do one side and then the spider crawled up the house and then... 00:00:05.266 --> 00:00:08.706 (Heather) Playful learning to me is seeing the joy on the children's face 00:00:08.706 --> 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 --> 00:00:26.116 When I see them giggling and laughing, but still doing what I've asked them 00:00:26.116 --> 00:00:27.606 to do, I say, "Yeah, that's it. 00:00:27.606 --> 00:00:28.620 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 (Child) One day, a spider... 00:01:01.000 --> 00:01:05.200 (Heather) 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 --> 00:01:34.951 I put out the baskets with all the nature items in it, 00:01:35.646 --> 00:01:37.406 and then they come in very quietly 00:01:37.406 --> 00:01:40.426 and they gather the items that they want to play with, 00:01:40.426 --> 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. 00:01:56.810 --> 00:01:59.656 And they start telling their story, you know, to themselves, 00:01:59.656 --> 00:02:01.026 or sometimes with a partner. 00:02:01.026 --> 00:02:03.106 (Child) I think this is actually real. 00:02:03.106 --> 00:02:04.876 This is real, so we tuck down... 00:02:04.876 --> 00:02:06.405 (Heather) And then I circulate 00:02:06.405 --> 00:02:08.865 and I walked around and I make sure that I touch in 00:02:08.865 --> 00:02:10.895 with every child at least once. 00:02:10.895 --> 00:02:14.526 (Child) And then this ran away and then they jump back up there... 00:02:14.526 --> 00:02:17.856 (Heather) So then, as they play Storyland, I'll go around and I'll say: 00:02:17.856 --> 00:02:19.826 "Okay, what's the setting of your story?" 00:02:19.826 --> 00:02:22.376 and then they orally tell me what the setting is. 00:02:22.376 --> 00:02:25.636 (Child) And this is the water where he swims. 00:02:26.136 --> 00:02:28.106 (Heather) If we're working on characters, 00:02:28.106 --> 00:02:30.756 I'll say: "Okay, who are the characters in your story?" 00:02:30.756 --> 00:02:34.800 (Child) 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 --> 00:03:03.578 It's magical to them and they love it, 00:03:03.578 --> 00:03:06.526 so that's a good way for them to start their writing. 00:03:06.526 --> 00:03:10.926 (Child) I make this goat never get his chocolate peanut butter-- 00:03:10.926 --> 00:03:13.506 (Heather) Oh, look, and I think someone's at the door. 00:03:13.506 --> 00:03:15.406 (Child) That's a bear. 00:03:15.466 --> 00:03:18.000 (Child) Hello. Who's there?