Wednesday, June 02, 2010

building stories




On Friday I had the privilege of going to London for a staff training day with the teachers from school.

As the coach drew closer to London, I started taking in the array of architecture around me, that is gradually becoming more familiar as I make more regular trips to visit my future in-laws.

I thought about how all of the buildings - old & new - have stories behind them. Stories of people with a vision to start something new in the business world; stories of families from all walks of life occupying the houses, stories without words of the history of London. I wondered at how I will never know of most of these stories because, most likely, I will never have the opportunity to ask questions of those who live & work in them.

My mind wandered back to Bristol and the children I see for five days of the week. I thought about the stories they have been creating, realising for the first time in their lives that they can be authors as well as readers. We've been teaching them how to use their wonderful imaginations to construct their very own stories where anything can happen.

I love that with all stories, there is a beginning, a middle and an end. With some stories - the unwritten kind - the stories I saw in those buildings - you might never know all of the parts to the story - but I love that you can always imagine.

And that is what children are utterly brilliant at doing.

So, settle back and enjoy one of the carefully & crazily crafted stories of my children.


The Scratchy, Max & Spots Adventure

On a cold, snowy day, Max the Grasshopper was going to sleep and a funny, scary spider came along. Then Max woke up and frightened him away. Scratchy the funny spider said, 'Ola!'

'You can't sleep with me', said Max. So Scratchy had a sleepover with Spots the ladybird on the ground cos that was their house. Max can't have a sleepover because he's got a sore toe. He's happy and he goes over to Scratchy's house.

Then the funny eyes camed and they were really scary. Funny eyes climbed on the wall and Scratchy just said, 'Rah' and frightened funny eyes away.

Scratchy, Max and Spots the ladybird went to Africa and looked behind them and there was a scary lion and they had to go somewhere new. They went t o the police and asked them to take the lion to jail. The lion was running and they went in their car and they catched up with him and put him in their car. And the jail was in the car.

Scratchy was trying to spin a web. Spots and Max climbed up to it and they flew home.
'Wow! I'm up in the sky! Wow! wow! wow!' said Max.
You're allowed on my back', said Msx to Scratchy, 'cos I've got a bigger back. Would you like to come on my back, Spots?' said Max.
'You're too big for me' said Spots.

They take thirty minutes and then Max said, 'Where are you Scratchy?'
He's lost because he was sick on the way home and he needs to get back home to his cave.

Scratchy was dead. He died by a dragon in the sky and Max and Spots were still in the sky. They landed in the jungle and then they ran home.

The end.
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1 comment:

Ros De Silva said...

I've found youuuuuu!! Great story, great blog and great photos! Ciao ciao love R x