Do you teach Fairy Tales in your kindergarten classroom? They use to be a Kindergarten Standard for our district. Sadly, with the new CC, that is no longer the case. I know it isn't detrimental if they don't know classic fairy tales, but I do think it is sad. My little 3 year old can recite just about any nursery rhyme there is and by 4 she will know all of the classic Fairy Tales. I just think it is something children should know - instead of Spongebob Squarepants (don't get me started).
Before Common Core, we taught a nursery rhyme and/or Fairy Tale a week. We usually introduced it in class, our librarian did activities in library with the Fairy Tale, then on Friday as a reward we had Fairy Tale Friday. What is that? Well, our school (the wildcats) has Wildcat Winners for students K-2 every week from 1:45-2:15. This is a weekly reward for all student who did not go to red all week in behavior. Grades 1-2 go outside but my OCD and paranoia do not allow me to take 60 kindergartners on the playground with 120 1st and 2nd graders at the same time so we do something a little different.
In the past (before CC) we had a special visitor come visit our classroom about 15 minutes before Wildcat Winners. Who is this visitor???? The Fairy Tale Fairy of course!
Isn't she precious?? I covered up her face because I didn't get a chance to ask her if I could post her picture. This was a WONDERFUL woman who was an instructional assistant in our school. She retired this year and we miss her oh.so.much! You can see that she must have been reading Tortoise and the Hare.
The kids were mesmerized by her! I swear it was the cutest thing you have ever seen! She read the story to the whole class and talked about what made it a "tale". Then the students who did not have red card all week got to stay and watch the video (okay...VHS back then). We then compared and contrasted the story and movie.
It makes me sad to see the awesome things we don't have time for anymore. We do still have Fairy Tale Friday and just show the video but sadly don't have the staff for dress up nor can we pull them from other duties to do that.
I still think it is VERY important that kiddos know the classic Fairy Tales. The 2nd week of school we read The Little Red Hen and talked about responsibilities and how to help at home. I kid.you.not. NO ONE in my class had ever heard this story. I think that is so sad!!!!
This week we read The Three Little Pigs because we were learning the letter Pp. I have found the CUTEST YouTube videos to teach some of these fairy tales. Have you heard of Debbie and Friends?? Here is her 3 Little Pigs video. Love it!
WARNING......You'll be singing this all day long!
I also love her version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Debbie and Friends also have a
website where you can order her CD's and DVDs. This is not a review and I'm not getting anything to write this - I just think they are that awesome and wanted you to know! So, do you teach Fairy Tales? If so, I would love to hear how!
