Sometimes children are amazing storytellers, they can tell tall tales! They can mix what they have learnt or heard about with their imagination and build castles and dragons out of thin air too. Let's hear how N, a 3-year old explained her day's absence to the facilitator the next day...
F: Where were you yesterday?
M: I went to pick up my dad's friend. He came to see me.
F: Oh, where did you go?
M: We went in my dad's car veeeeeeeeeery far.
F: Far like the Sahara desert far?
M: *with all seriousness and sipping water* Yes. (taking me up on my challenge!)
F: WOW. That is far. So tell me more about it.
M: We parked the car in front of a gate in the desert.
F: Gate? Where was this gate in the desert? In the beginning, middle or towards the end of the desert?
M (visualizing more...): In the middle. It was a white colour gate.
F: I see. Were there walls around the gate?
M: No. It was just a gate. And there was a camel. We were sitting on the camel and went to pick up my dad's friend who came to meet me. (And just like that car became a camel!)
F: Huh. So you couldn't come to the school yesterday because you went to the Sahara desert with your dad to pick up his friend who came to meet you on a camel.
M: Yes. That's why I was tired.
F: I can imagine! That must have been very tiring indeed.
The visual image N built for all of us was a treat to hear, even though a tall tale indeed! Who says children can't tell tales?
F: Where were you yesterday?
M: I went to pick up my dad's friend. He came to see me.
F: Oh, where did you go?
M: We went in my dad's car veeeeeeeeeery far.
F: Far like the Sahara desert far?
M: *with all seriousness and sipping water* Yes. (taking me up on my challenge!)
F: WOW. That is far. So tell me more about it.
M: We parked the car in front of a gate in the desert.
F: Gate? Where was this gate in the desert? In the beginning, middle or towards the end of the desert?
M (visualizing more...): In the middle. It was a white colour gate.
F: I see. Were there walls around the gate?
M: No. It was just a gate. And there was a camel. We were sitting on the camel and went to pick up my dad's friend who came to meet me. (And just like that car became a camel!)
F: Huh. So you couldn't come to the school yesterday because you went to the Sahara desert with your dad to pick up his friend who came to meet you on a camel.
M: Yes. That's why I was tired.
F: I can imagine! That must have been very tiring indeed.
The visual image N built for all of us was a treat to hear, even though a tall tale indeed! Who says children can't tell tales?
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