Winter Tales
Some ideas of how to use this story booklet
The story booklets are for the children to keep. You might want to use them in the classroom as a ‘class reader’ before they disappear home in the ‘book bag’. Emphasise they are a gift (in more than one way), and the stories are to be shared.
Some ideas you can try in the classroom:
-
Introduce one story per week in December or during winter studies, linking each to its region on a world map.
-
Comparative Culture: Discuss similarities and differences between traditions — for example, light in The Christmas Spider, food in What a Lovely Surprise, or courage in The Pussycat and the Troll.
-
Creative Writing: Encourage pupils to write their own “kindness in winter” tale set in their local area, borrowing one magical element (an animal, a spirit, or a surprise).
-
Art and Geography Links:Each story invites cross-curricular learning — drawing trolls, designing tinsel spiders, sculpting radishes, or crafting miniature camakau boats.
-
Moral Reflection: Use each ending as a discussion prompt: What would you have done in Kamal’s place? Why do the animals keep passing the radish along?
Encouraging the children’s parents to read to the children at home.
Encouraging parents to read to children at home is an age-old problem. It is hoped that if you emphasise how this booklet is a gift and that it is theirs it will be special to them. The cultural range of stories will, hopefully, encourage the parents to acknowledge that there has been an effort to make them feel included in this project, and be willing to play their part.
We have produced a Top 10 ideas for parents of how to read to their children. It is hope that schools will send this home by email (or print out and physically send) to further encourage and support parents to read to their children.
​
Here is a suggested sheet to download and to send out to the parents in your class. (just click on the guide to download)
Background notes for each of the stories
To enable you to assist the pupils in your class we have produced background notes for each of the stories in the collection. They help explain some of the ideas and background behind each story. It should help you when you talk with the children after having read them.
​
Click on the picture of the troll (one of the characters you will meet in one of the stories) to download them.
To download the text of each story in the booklet click here
