English class on Friday mornings, for a month and a half (6 weeks).
Classroom, school hall, and theatre.
We started with a reading, in order to improve students’ listening/comprehension and English vocabulary.
The teacher of Art prepared a board for the story, with recycled materials, they painted, cut, stick letters and drawings.
Then children prepared small individual cards with the characters of the story: an old man, an old woman, a big cow, two pigs…
Later they started to dramatize the story in the classroom to make children active and to practice the L2 (English). Finally, they made a video and to involve older students, who were already working with the class on a vertical project focused on FOOD tradition.
One of the children in need of the classroom was very keen on ICT so he was asked to record the storytelling.
Children used pencils and paints to prepare a big board and the cards to wear during the storytelling (with a thread on their neck).
Also, they used clothes, hats, pots, flowers, textiles, and plastic food to prepare the scenography and the children and the teachers cooperate in bringing all the materials to the school.
A storytelling activity was carried out with children acting together, and with older classmates supporting friends with a chorus producing sounds (rain…wind…) and repeating the same structure as a code for the children to move and to recognize their role.
Goals achieved
Children learned to respect their turn, to listen to each other, to cooperate and to memorize and they had to look for objects at home.
Parent’s interest
Parents helped the activity by giving the kids the objects they asked for.
Strengths and critical points of the practice
The main strengths have been the motivation of children, the cooperation and the enthusiasm, they all had fun and really enjoyed working together.
Critical points were related to space limitations when they had to practice in the classroom.
How the practice fostered children’s inclusion
The activity has been really inclusive for everyone, children quite aggressive and hyperactive found the way to feel comfortable and to take part in the storytelling.
Children with language difficulty managed to express themselves and to use other languages.
Children with other difficulties enjoyed using technologies and older or more competent children acted as an example and support for their classmates.
INCLUDED – Digital Storytelling for Inclusion