Tales in Reception
Look and Say… Pink! A tale about dyslexia
In December, at the end of my first school year, I had the opportunity to star as the Christmas Angel in the Nativity Play, as I was the smallest pupil in the class. However, I was soon brought back to earth with the news that I had failed my first year of school. I was to be held back a year because I had taken the "look and say" reading method at face value and learnt my first book off by heart. I hadn't learnt "whole word" reading but had instead mastered the art of whole picture reading, which was not on the school curriculum. The painful process of learning to read then started. My mom and I cried buckets of tears as she tried to teach me to read.
I insisted that "r-e-d" spelled "pink."
Eventually, the wonderful but formidable Miss Dunt, who understood children but made their mothers cry, taught me to read phonetically.
In high school, French eluded me, so I switched to art, where I could finally put onto paper what I saw. Last year, another learning disability test reconfirmed that my dyslexia still remains, but to my great joy I have also retained the ability to look and see.
All Bottled Up. A tale about loose parts play
Bridget's grandmothers found that their button jars could provide hours of amusement for her from toddlerhood. Bridget would sit for hours engaged in a seemingly never-ending variety of sorting, creating, and playing. This sort of free play with groups of objects is called "loose parts play" in the preschool world. For many years, she kept her avid and varied interests bottled up for fear that she would bore others. Now she has her jars of different types of objects proudly on display at home. She has a habit of flitting from one interest to another, which works when there are jars of beautiful things on display to play with.
Whose Earth. A tale about the birthright of all children
I have always known I belong to the earth, being made of the stuff of dust and stars, tears, and laughter, rain and sunshine.
Weaning. A tale about first foods and first memories
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The Morning Star. A tale about sensory processing
This compilation features a childhood drawing and objects gifted to Bridget on three different occasions. Reflecting on her 5-year-old self, Bridget explores how a visual difference, like astigmatism, led her to ponder spirituality by observing the heavens while enjoying the stillness of early mornings. The accompanying story suggests that differences need not always be seen as deficits; even medical differences can inspire wonder. It highlights the positive sensory experiences of a sensitive child.
As a child, Bridget was told that the morning star was the planet, Venus. To her delight, she recently discovered that Venus is the only planet in our solar system that spins backward while revolving around the sun unlike the others.
Bridget plays with the concept of home: Is it a building or the feeling of the earth beneath us and the sky above? Modern children rarely experience the night sky and the unveiling of dawn, a timeless activity for our ancestors.
Bridget believes that both children and teenagers can benefit from the support of older people. She is proof that even a little support can make a significant difference, even if it isn't acknowledged at the time. The note accompanying the flautist angels, given to her as a teenager, has been cherished for over 40 years.
Footnote:
The NHS says that ‘Astigmatism means your eye is shaped more like a rugby ball than a football, so light is focused at more than 1 place in the eye.’ https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/astigmatism/ ‘Astigmatism happens when your cornea or lens has a different shape than normal. The shape makes light bend differently as it enters your eye, causing a refractive error. Doctors don't know what causes astigmatism, and there's no way to prevent it.’ https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/astigmatism.
https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-science/venus-morning-star-evening-star https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-science/venus-spins-backwards.
Times Flies. A tale about altered chronology, ADHD and time blindness
Stamps. A tale about hyper focusing on special interests
It is possible that some people are born collectors and that the hunter-gatherer genes run like a river through their veins.
A Spoon Full of Sugar. A tale about pragmatism
Granny Hope’s medicine cabinet was sparse.
Reflection in a Dry Cleaner’s Window. A tale about healing and redemption through sustainable collecting
