Today we started our Thursday’s Library Routine with the usual book reading. The Cubs (4 to 5 year olds) started the reading by exploring the book The Day The Crayon Quit’s cover page,
R: Green color crayon
A: Its Blue color
N: Pink
C: Orange
VR: Red looks like its fighting with someone and angry
N: Red looks surprised
VR: Orange is upset
R: Blue is a holding a board and it's angry
C: Green is happy
D: Pink is very upset
E: Pink is holding the board downwards and sad
Their discussion went deeper when they empathized further,
N: Red fought with its dad so it is sad, upset and it was surprised looking at the other color.
“Blue is holding a board because it does not like the other crayons so something is written on it.”
When the reading continued, children were curious on the word ‘quit’, so we explored a little,
VR: It means running
Everybody agreed.
So we moved on with the thought of finding it out while we read the book. We then came across the word ‘stack’.
Facilitator (F): What does stack mean?
D: It’s stamp
But Ad clarified with, “Arranging thing on top of others!”, and we continued reading the book.
The word we explored next was ‘letter’ where the crayons had written letters for Dnucan.
N: It's a cursive letter
Aa and Aa: It’s alphabet and its vowel
D added, “Consonants”
It was clear that children understood that word as alphabet. We them discussed further and they were explained to what writing a letter means to which they immediately said, “We write letter.”
The next crayon that children explored was the colour ‘red’ where they connected with gas cylinder, tomato, strawberry, dresses, apple, fire engine, heart etc.
We went on further discussions on the different letters and colours in book, when they were asked, “How did you all feel when you used different crayons?”
N: I was upset because I would not colour and write with it
D: Because I could not colour it was small – I feel sad
Aa: I cannot write orange crayon is dirty and it was also breaking
Aad: When I took the dirty yellow crayons my paper also become dirty
C: Colour of the crayon are gone and we are not able to use it
R: When I waste the crayon I feel sad, I talk to the crayon and say I will not waste you the next time.
Each one of them talked about how they will be more respectful to the crayons. This suddenly probed A to ask, “Why ma’am you did not give us big and new crayons?” This got everybody else to ask the F why she hadn’t given them new crayons.
So the F asked them back, “Why do you think I haven’t given you the big and new crayons yet?”
Children contemplated for a while and replied,
VR: Because you want us to write and colour with the small one
A: Making use of the small caryon to colour
N: To know how they feel when they break.
F: Yes, since we broke all our old crayons the new crayons don't want to come play with us"
This moved on to empathizing with the crayons and arriving at what they can do to the crayon when they use them-
VR: Crayons are angry on us and next time we don't use it properly they will leave us and go
A: I will use all the crayons
D: We should not break it handle with care
Di: I will use it properly
E: I will tell sorry to red crayon because I use it always
Aa: I will not break not take the rapper
S: I will use the colour and be careful, no wasting
Aa: I take care of it and colour it nicely
Ad: No breaking the crayon
Stories are powerful mediums to convey messages and learn new things. Any message can be conveyed through a story that can have deeper impact on the audience, such as this one. Children not only explored their feelings when they used multiple crayons but empathized with them too, arriving at ground rules for themselves when using crayons in the future. This story in particular helped them empathize and learn responsibilities. And both are important skills for anybody to develop in their lives.
Contributed by Sheela Peter, Learning Facilitator at Sparkling Mindz Global Preschool.
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