"There Was A Bear In The Wild All By Himself."

The children's stories in the light studio were compelling to them so I asked them to draw a picture of their words as I read them. One way of helping children slow down is to ask them to draw something by looking at it very closely or by asking them to represent an idea that is important to them. The children took their clipboards to the light studio to represent their stories by drawing them. I read Solace's words, "There was a bear in the wild all by himself." Her story poured out on the paper.

Isaac drew the forest and then the path through the forest.

As I look at their illustrations, I see something interesting. With Loris Malaguzzi's quote in mind, "... for their minds and social exchanges are in continuous motion, just as their language is," I see how Isaac represents the movement of their bodies and their narration by drawing the path through the forest.  Solace could not stop "writing" her story. For a short period of time drawing became the way to tell the story, the movement. They are representing on paper the ideas they have been representing with their bodies.

Here are some illustrations of another story. 

"They were walking on the bridge and falling into the water. A catcher got you and pulled you into the boat." 

 

Jack 

In keeping with our observations about this group of children, when they finished their drawings they sprang up into action, running and calling out to each other over their shoulders, in movement once again.