Topic #1: Engaging Children

Item #1: Re-Baptizing Valentine's Day

Submitted by: Tony McCaffrey on April 30, 2002

Occupation: Children's Author

I asked my third grade students to help me create stories to put God back into St. Valentine's Day, and one student came up with this gem.

"When God Made Friends With Cupid"
by Annie
3rd Grade

One Valentine's Day, Cupid was shooting people's hearts and everyone was falling in love. By mistake, one of the arrows went up into the sky and shot God in the heart.

God came down from heaven and said, "That felt good. I love the people on the earth even more now."

God got an idea to help Cupid spread this kind of love. God changed Cupid's arrows. Before, when someone got shot by an arrow they would fall in love like girlfriend and boyfriend. Now, the arrows made people want to help strangers. They wanted to visit people in the hospital and help people without a home.

Cupid's new arrows made the world a much better place.

Topic #2: Vivian Gussin Paley

Item #1: Request for Information

Submitted by: Sarika Hirve on July 9, 2003

Hello,
I have been working in the field of early years for past 4 years now and have studied Child care for more than 4 years. I have realised the importance of story telling and storymaking with young children and important it is to them in their day to day life.
I came across this website while browsing through one of Vivian Gussin Paley's website. I would like to know if you could send me some literature on storytelling or use of storysacks.

Thank you

Reply #1:

Dear Sarika:

Thank you for your inquiry.

You might want to get in touch with the London Bubble Theatre 5 Elephant Lane, London SE 164JD. They have worked with Vivian Gussin Paley and produced a play on her book YOU CAN'T SAY YOU CAN'T PLAY. Their website is www.londonbubble.org.uk. Vivian's work focuses primarily on the story telling of children, in which she taps into the child's world of fantasy and play through which she has been able to explore with children some of our most profound social and moral issues.

You might also want to check out some of the titles on our website related to GODLY PLAY, by Jerome Berryman, as well as THE CATECHESIS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD originated by Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi. They have done considerable work in developing a way of telling stories to children based on the principles of Maria Montessori, bringing together the telling of the story with particular manipulatives which the child later uses (works with) while reflecting on the story.

I hope this is helpful to you.

Best wishes,
Gerard A. Pottebaum