Some of the children are very fond of our Three Little Pigs books. Sam discovered that we have a big hardbacked version as well as the small board book, and he and Kaya checked it out together.
We (teachers) are employing this tale of little ones leaving home and parents/caregivers to face the dangers of the outside world. We have done this through introducing block play. On Tuesday, Mark begins a new story, enacted using this platform and blocks. He pauses often in the story so children can respond.
Once upon a time there was a house. Here’s my house. In this house…
Kaya understands immediately, and says Three little pigs
The pigs hear the wolf crying, and one pig decides to go to the woods, another stays put, and the third pig goes into the house.
Thomas wonders Where is the wolf? Is the wolf in his house? Yeah, maybe he’s in the woods crying. I don’t know why…that little pig is looking for the wolf to cry.
Caroline Wolfs don’t cry.
Thomas Where is he? He’s somewhere out in the woods. Where is he?
Asha So, mama taked me to the woods and it was very scary. The wolf was very scary.
Travers (Pretending to be the wolf) I ate the little pigs. When the wolf ate the pigs.
Thomas Is he going to come out of the woods and eat the pigs?
Caroline Wolfs don’t cry.
Thomas Where’s the wolf?
Luca I want that pig to go outside. That pig to go out and go right where the woods are. And that one.
This one too? You want all of them to go to the woods?
Kaya Where’s the mama?
Caroline, Kyla and Travers move the pigs into the woods. They decide that one is the mom, one is the dad and one is the baby.
Kaya Yeah, but where’s the three little pigs?
After meeting children to play with these materials. Several children continue with the pig theme as they construct structures. Some children initially argue over who has enough blocks, and Mark persistently redirects them by asking about their stories, understandable since this is a new material. After several minutes, the play gets going. Here’s how it begins:
Asha The wolf is right here. The wolf is not crying.
Sam Did you see my little piggie jumped?
Sam arranges his blocks and pigs in different combinations and geometric patterns, often symmetrical. Will, too, silently creates order and symmetry with the blocks
Mark continues to describe the children’s play, making their thinking visible to each other: You look like you’re arranging them a certain way, Sam. And you (Caroline) look like you’re doing a little bit like Will was doing over there. (Cal joins, looks through a block at Mark) So Sam, you put one (figure) inside (a lying down square) and you put two (rectangles) on either side.
Cal Maybe this can be the door.
Mark And it’s going out the door now.
Cal (block is knocked over) That make a big mess with the blocks. (repeats, trying to get Mark’s attention/smile; Mark simply acknowledges)
Luca I made their house.
Caroline This is my story.
Mark Mm. It looks like you guys are working together (Luca and Caroline)
Caroline He can’t work with me.
Mark Mm. You’re feeling like you don’t want to share. Tell me about your story. What’s your idea here?
Caroline I’m going to make up my own story and he can’t work with me. This is where my family’s going to be.
Mark Ah… It looks like Luca’s got a story going on over there.
Cal I got a idea! Guess what? Maybe this can be the boat. And this can be the back seat. And this–two pigs can fit in the back seat. How can two pigs sit in the back seat?
Mark I see. They’re trying to both sit in the back seat.
Cal They can take turns. Maybe they can take turns. I want to get one too.
Mark And they switched! They took turns!
Caroline He gave me! (Luca hands her a block; is it coincidence that at the very moment that Cal’s pigs took turns on the boat that Luca chooses to give a block to Caroline?)
Cal Then the other pig showed up then him said, “I want to have a turn.” And… (switches them) Then him said, “I want a turn,” and him said, “No.”
Mark Ah, I see. So they’re still learning about doing that.
Cal I going to knock you down little pig.
Caroline He gave to me. (Luca continues handing blocks to Caroline, to her delight)
Cal And they took turns.
Mark So they’re both in the boat.
Cal They fall down into the water.
(Luca leaves, and Kyla takes his place, adding to Caroline’s structure, who is now amenable.)
On Wednesday, Mark begins the three little pigs version again. This time all three pigs go into the woods, then remember that the wolf is scary and return to their house. But upon hearing the wolf cry again…
? The wolf! The big bad wolf!
Mark (speaking for the pigs): “What should we do?” “I’m going to go out to the forest.” (the three pigs head back to the forest.)
Cal (points to a place on the platform) It’s this way. It’s right here.
Kaya It’s so scary! It’s so scary!
Mark This pig said, “I’m going to go find a wolf. It’s crying. What should we do?”
Kaya It’s so scary!
Luca Why is it crying?
Cal suggests the wolf is “sleeping right here” on the corner of the platform.
Travers What if the wolf was under the table?
Amelia Maybe it wants food.
? Maybe it wants a baby.
Travers The wolf shoot his head.
Mark Mm. He got hurt.
Travers Yeah, a gun.
Cal Maybe (it got hurt by) a pokey thing.
Again, more play follows in the colored block area:
Sam (This is) the crying one.
Ruthie I’m building a house. This piggie is all the way up. (on top of the structure)
Sam Slide (long line of rectangles mostly, on their sides. Sam says he has a crying piggie, one of his three little pigs)
Caroline I’ll fix that (repairing Sam’s slide)
Ruthie The piggie’s house fall down… The little piggie’s house is fixed. (Ruthie’s pig climbs up the house and jumps down.) It fell down – the house fell down again!
Kaya The big bad wolf! (holding a wooden figure. Kaya gets more wooden figures and reenacts the Three Little Pigs:) Little pig, little pig, let me come in. Not by the hairs on my chinny chin chin. Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house down. (blows)
