QUALITY STORYTENTS
A resource for family, early childhood and community literacy workers
While they are in the tent, children are shown how their behaviour influences
whether or
not others can read or hear books. They also learn how speaking disparagingly
of each
other and each other's families is counter-productive to building relationships
and makes
the Storytent unsafe. Assisting children self-evaluate requires constant
negotiation.
Often, children in conflict look to staff for justice or vindication. In
these circumstances,
staff begin the negotiation by asking about roles (Child: “She took
my book!”
Worker:“
What are you asking me to do?”)
.
Sometimes negotiations fail. Too often, there is no “connecting place” and too little time for individual children and staff to talk through these challenges (Glasser, 2000 p.160). At this point, children are asked to leave the tent and ‘try again tomorrow’. This gives staff an opportunity to discuss and reflect on what happened and make plans for preventing or dealing more effectively with the challenge next day. Where a strong relationship is present, children return the next day. Over time, children and the general community come to perceive the storytent as a warm, safe place to be.