World Folktales and Fables: Effective Teaching Tools to Educate and Entertain Children
- Date: 2007-06-05 - Word Count: 391
Share This!
Children love folktales and fables. With their simple characters and settings, as well as an enticing conflict early in the story, folktales immediately grab a reader's attention. Recall "The Three Billy Goats Gruff," in which all three goats need to get to the other side of the bridge for food, but a hungry troll stands in their way. The stories develop quickly, and often obstacles seem insurmountable before, in the end, everything is resolved to our satisfaction. Good triumphs over evil.
The repetition and rhythm we see in stories such as "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" and "The Little Red Hen and the Grains of Wheat," also are very appealing to children. And, of course, everyone loves when humor and cunning are used to outsmart an adversary.
Reading world folktales and fables is not only a wonderful way to entertain and bond with children, it is also an effective way to educate them. The stories in classic folklore offer both social lessons as well as an opportunity to teach about cultures and languages.
Folktales provide an excellent way to teach kids about the consequences of good and bad behavior, the importance of cooperation, and the rewards of courage and ingenuity. In one of my favorite stories, "The Giant Turnip" (an adaptation of the Russian story "The Enormous Turnip"), a class grows a huge turnip and works together to figure out how to pull it out of the ground. The story helps young children grasp the benefits of community and working together.
Folktales also offer a great entry point for teaching children about other cultures. For instance, the fable "Dragon's Tears" is a wonderful starting point to explore Chinese Culture. "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" can be used to begin teaching and learning about Arabic culture.
Bilingual editions of these traditional stories allow the parent or teacher to expose children not only to a different culture, but also to another language. I like to use Language Lizard's bilingual version of the Indian folktale "Buri and the Marrow" (in which Buri wears an Indian sari) to expose my children to traditional Indian stories and foreign language scripts. The audio CD even lets them hear the story in Bengali and other foreign languages.
Folktales and fables have survived the test of time for a reason. So pick up a story, sit down with a child, and enjoy!
The repetition and rhythm we see in stories such as "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" and "The Little Red Hen and the Grains of Wheat," also are very appealing to children. And, of course, everyone loves when humor and cunning are used to outsmart an adversary.
Reading world folktales and fables is not only a wonderful way to entertain and bond with children, it is also an effective way to educate them. The stories in classic folklore offer both social lessons as well as an opportunity to teach about cultures and languages.
Folktales provide an excellent way to teach kids about the consequences of good and bad behavior, the importance of cooperation, and the rewards of courage and ingenuity. In one of my favorite stories, "The Giant Turnip" (an adaptation of the Russian story "The Enormous Turnip"), a class grows a huge turnip and works together to figure out how to pull it out of the ground. The story helps young children grasp the benefits of community and working together.
Folktales also offer a great entry point for teaching children about other cultures. For instance, the fable "Dragon's Tears" is a wonderful starting point to explore Chinese Culture. "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" can be used to begin teaching and learning about Arabic culture.
Bilingual editions of these traditional stories allow the parent or teacher to expose children not only to a different culture, but also to another language. I like to use Language Lizard's bilingual version of the Indian folktale "Buri and the Marrow" (in which Buri wears an Indian sari) to expose my children to traditional Indian stories and foreign language scripts. The audio CD even lets them hear the story in Bengali and other foreign languages.
Folktales and fables have survived the test of time for a reason. So pick up a story, sit down with a child, and enjoy!
Related Tags: education, language, childrens books, bilingual, folktale, fable
Anneke Forzani is the President and Foundner of Language Lizard, LLC. Language Lizard offers bilingual children's books in over 40 languages, multicultural lesson plans, and a complimentary e-newsletter to help parents and teachers expose children to other languages and cultures. Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- How Hypnotherapy Can be Used on Children
Today Hypnosis can be termed as a branch of medicine which is quite unique, whereas in the past this - Confidence Workshops For Children
Every parent wants their children to be confident, happy, highly motivated and enthusiastic in order - Inspiring Children Using NLP
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is one of the most successful therapies in psychology today. Init - Writing Term Papers
Students often tend to put off a written assignment, considering it to be a chore too formidable to - Naming In Term Paper
Give a descriptive name to each of your concept in the paper. Adhere using terms like "our approach" - Introduction Section of a Research Paper
Your introductions should not exceed more than two pages (typed, double spaced). See again the examp - Getting a Feedback of Your Term Paper is Important!
Get the feedback of your work! Finish your paper, having written it well in advance, so that you hav - The 1950's - Was Life Better?
Iconic TV shows like I Love Lucy, Dennis the Menace and My Three Sons seem to indicate that the 1950 - Online Classroom Systems Makes Home Schooling Even More Attractive
In the past it went without saying that you would send your kids to public schools. With public scho - 8 Helpful Tips For Surviving Military Basic Training
Getting through military basic training takes a lot perseverance. During this training it is best to
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Culinary Cooking Schools and What They Teach
Culinary cooking schools prepare you for a job in the culinary industry by providing you with the kn - How To Learn Spanish Quickly Without Moving To Spain
Learning Spanish is a popular pastime, as well as a serious goal for many individuals. Whether it's - How To Improve Your Life With An Accredited Online College Degree
With the information super highway raring full steam ahead, quality accredited online college degree - Online Bachelor Degree Programs Go Mainstream
The Internet has seen an explosion in online bachelor degree programs in the last five to ten years - Online Degree Program Just A Click Away
You want to go shopping, but your car is low on gas. You want to know your account balance, but do n - Online Paralegal Degree Will Open Doors
An online paralegal degree may offer the possibility of improving your chances in the legal professi - What West Point Military School Looks For In A Candidate
West Point is looking for well rounded young men and women who are good students, good athletes, and - The Importance of Effective Accounting Programs
In the past, small businesses like mom and pop stores were not required to maintain any sort of acco - California Schools Educators Retirement System And Lionstone Group Create Investment Fund
The California State Teachers' Retirement System (CSTRS) is the second largest public pension fund i - A Taste of China - Seattle Schools New Guest Teacher Shares Language and Culture of Her Native Hom
The Seattle schools have a new "guest" teacher. Zhu Dan arrived in the Seattle schools in January