Presenting the Montessori tools of the Great Lessons highlights the power of storytelling in teaching. Carla Foster suggests that children should be aware of how their learning increases as wonder points them to the mystery of the unknown. Engaging in the dialect of wonder during presentations can bring participants to attention by suggesting that…

The goal of the ANCESTOR program is to use digital storytelling as a means of promoting an interest in technology careers for Aboriginal learners, as well as increasing cultural literacy. A curriculum was developed and first tested with Aboriginal students at the LÁU,WELNEW Tribal School near Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Based on feedback…

A study required children to tell and to dictate stories that were real and make believe, all about the same basic topic, as part of things people do when they "write a story." A further purpose was to explore the reading knowledge of children who are just beginning to read. Children's reading attempts for these stories were used to…

This paper provides an analysis of plot structure in stories freely narrated by five-to-ten-year-old elementary school children. The question was raised whether the stories, collected over a two-year period, would reflect the children's transition from home to school by a shift from a private to a public character. Structural analyses of plot,…

Second language teachers wishing to diversify their instructional approach should consider using fairy tales to enrich the experience of the target language and culture. When used well, they can provide a glimpse of the values, lifestyles, customs, and historical traditions of the target language group. Fairy tales also offer a variety of language…

Examining some of the cognitive tools accompanying development of oral language in young children--tools that are somewhat suppressed with literacy development--can lead to educational principles that transcend the traditional focus on either the knowledge base or the child's mind. Of particular importance are the use of stories to give affective…