Here are guides for those who wish to learn one of the simplest and most rewarding of child-responsive curriculum components--story writing and enactment. These suggestions have come from the work of Vivian Gussin Paley, most notably in her book The Boy Who Would Be a Helicopter, Harvard University Press, 1990.

I wholeheartedly recommend that every early childhood program do this regularly with children. It is an almost guaranteed way to elicit from children their natural interest in learning to write narrative stories, illustrate them with drawings, dramatize them in collaboration with others, and read them to anyone who will listen. At first I didn't recognize its power, but after my first full year I saw the excitement, delight, and emotional catharsis that convinced me that this was indeed an essential component of the early childhood curriculum.

A few generalizations I have found: three-year-olds seem to me to be undamaged by the implied obligation to dictate, illustrate and enact; fours seem to begin to explore power and identity through their stories; and fives take off into the realms of literary creativity, finding a natural desire to develop narrative continuity and story line. Parents treasure the children's thoughts and illustrations, are encouraged by the direct evidence that their children are learning to read and write, and make sure they attend performances of the children's work. The children's stories, cooperatively written, make a fine end-of-the-year celebration. A downside: teachers have to learn to live through the chaos that sometimes occurs as the enactments are realized. The process is not always orderly or efficient.

The Writing Center

The writing needs a routine place and time. I set a special corner of the classroom aside with this equipment and a large sign WRITING CENTER. It is open during all free times in my school, but it could have OPEN and CLOSED signs, too.

• A specially marked table with 4 to 6 chairs (or 14 x 20" cardboard or masonite clipboards and carpeted floor area).
• 4 to 6 sets of broad tipped felt pens for coloring and 6 black, bold point pens for writing the words and detailed drawing.
• Paper: white paper, such as construction paper, 12" x 18" and/or a ream of Ruled News Picture/Story with 7/8" x 7/16" lines.
• Staplers.
• Bulletin board for an alphabet chart and examples of what children have written.
• Shelves to display materials, marked for easy return of all supplies.
• Dictionary so adults can look up the correct spelling.
• Roster of children's family names with correct spelling.
• A portable tray or box, e.g. kitty litter tray, to place stories in that are to be read to the class.

Rules for Scribes

A scribe can be anyone, an adult or a fourth or fifth grader, who will sit with the child to write down the child's story word by word. Parents make great scribes.

• Sydney Gurewitz Clemens suggests asking "for a story, a dream, or an adventure that I could write down." Bev Bos asks, "How does your story start?" Another possibility is to simply prompt with "Once upon a time...." to help the start.
• Print neatly---exactly as you would like the children to print in elementary school.
• Say each word aloud as you write it. This will slow the child's oral rate down to your beautiful-printing rate.
• Write exactly what the child says. No editing or corrections. "Him pounded it," stays just like it is. Changes a scribe makes spoil the sense of creative ownership you wish to foster.
• Cherish each child's individual expression. Be warm. Be delighted.
• Date it. These works are treasured for years. Many will be saved into adulthood.
• Allow children to copy ideas from others. It's what they need to do, obviously, or they wouldn't do it. (You could learn to write better if you tried to imitate your favorite writer, too.) The child will stop imitating when ready.
• Allow children to repeat the same story for months if they wish.
• Generally try to write a child's words out before he or she illustrates it. When words are down before pictures are drawn, the illustrations are usually more directly linked to the sentences at the bottom of the page. That helps the child read the words later. Drawing pictures first is fine, too.
• Don't crowd too many sentences on one page. Generally work toward one idea or action per page so the opportunities for sequential illustrations are available. This gives equal weight to art and literacy.

Reading the Stories Aloud

At a large group time, read the stories the children have placed in the tray. I have found it useful to place the stories in a favorable order beforehand, grouping a prolific child's many productions in one place and putting works deserving special recognition near the top.

• Hold up the story and ask the author if he or she would like their story read. Reading them, of course, is voluntary. Even though the story is placed in the group time tray, authors have the right to change their minds. If there are many by one child and time is short, I have that child choose just one to share with the group.
• Have the author sit in a special place as the story is read. I offer children my lap to sit on if they like.
• Respond to the drawing, too. Describe the illustrations factually: "Here are black swirls." And add comments about your associations and feelings that result from the graphic images: "I can see the colors of fire. It makes me feel the burning."
• Read with dramatic flair: voice changes, pauses, facial expressiveness, etc.
• Clap and cheer at the end. Hooray! It is marvelous to write a story, no matter how rudimental the first attempts may be. Really be enthusiastic and the children will be, too.

Enacting the Stories

As often as you can have a story enactment day. After the story is read, the author directs its production. Seeing one's own work come to life, cooperatively with one's friends, is the ultimate, natural reward for the work of writing. After several months of experience with enactment, children begin to visualize action in their stories; no longer do they make lists of static characters. Later still, they place actions into sequences that tell stories. After that, actions become logically related. Regular enactment is the feedback an author needs to develop narrative writing skills.

• The author chooses children to be the characters, both animate and inanimate, from among volunteers. Some of the finest drama I have seen came from children who tried to be a lake or a TV set.
• As each part is chosen, have that child demonstrate how that character would act: "Show us how to be a lake."
• The author selects his or her own part and demonstrates it as well.
• Many children can act the same part. For example, twelve children can all be the fire. This way most of the children can be involved in the production of some stories.
• I make this ground rule: We choose actors from the children who are quiet and who haven't had a turn so far today. Older children can decide on other ways to choose actors fairly. Another idea is to pass out cards, like tickets, each is collected as an actor has a turn. This helps younger children, because one can ask for "those with tickets" to raise their hands, rather than ask for "those who have not had a turn." The positive language is much easier to comprehend.
• Once all the characters are selected and rehearsed, help the author decide where each actor is placed as the story starts. Once everyone is set, the story can begin.
• Violence: killing and mayhem are part of the creative process for some children. Ensure in the rehearsal time that the children can think of a way to act out their part without touching anyone. Such skills are part of being an actor.
• Read the story slowly with long pauses for the action.
• Clap and cheer at the end.

Disposition of the Stories

I like sending most of a child's first works home as soon as they are completed. Later, I like establishing large cardboard file folders to collect the work at school. The classroom file serves as a record of who is using the Writing Center and who is not. A compilation of stories, once bound and covered by the child, makes a fine gift to parents. Special selections can become part of the child's long-term school portfolio.

The Reluctant Ones

I allow the non-participators 4 or 5 months to warm up to the idea of choosing to write a story on their own, without my encouragement. In February I may start gently nudging the reluctant ones. When I try to encourage participation, my guide is to talk only about my own feelings and desires. Use "I..." statements: "I miss seeing your ideas for stories." "I'd like to write down your story, if you have one." "I will ask you tomorrow."