Thanks to a lot of investment and endurance, we can finally say: Our days are running out of hours! With two to three participation readings per week and constant requests for new reading dates, we see ourselves forced to either invent the 30-hour-day or, if that won’t work, to find new storytellers. We’ve decided to try the latter.
The first official “Buchpaten storyteller introduction course” has already begun with four volunteers, and we’re very happy about how cool they all are! As part of the course, we will explain among other things what dialogic reading is and how to apply this technique. Once the basics have been conveyed, each storyteller gets to earn his or her spurs during a test reading. These test readings take place in a more intimate environment than the average class size allows, with children of all ages. Eliana started off as the first future storyteller in the Impact Hub Garage last Saturday. All further test readings will take place in the kihz day kindergarten of the ETH and UZH, our new “training kindergarten”.
We came together in the Garage – a dozen children ages a few months to seven years with their parents who tagged along. Like the well-behaved children they are, they refrained from raiding the snack buffet before the participation reading. Instead, they all excitedly gathered around the storyteller stool where Eliana already anticipated them. After a short welcome she commenced the story “Rotschwänzchen – was machst du hier im Schnee?”, a story about a little redstart. And the children were just filled with compassion from the start! See, the little redstart had a hurt wing and couldn’t join its mates on their journey to the south.
The ensuing winter became very unordinary for the redstart. It had a lot of questions: How do I get food now? And what is that white stuff settling on the ground and hanging in the trees, anyway? But luckily, the little bird met up with almost only helpful animals during its explorations of this winter wonderland. The children were also very helpful with their abundant advice: “It has to dig through the dirt!” – “Yeah! Or it should ask the boar for help!” – “Watch out! Don’t get too close to the owl!”
Thanks to all the support it received, the little redstart lived through the winter just fine – and as soon as its mates returned home, the little redstart had to tell them everything that had occurred on its adventures. Eliana didn’t have to say much more once she closed the book. The children ran to the colouring table with their parents by the hands. And together the drew their favourite scenes from the story. So many masterpieces were created! Seeing such passion enflamed in the children, we just knew then and there: we’re going to have lots of fun with Eliana!
You would also like to become a storyteller and take the children along on adventures? Then contact us and we will be happy to provide you with further information!