Beginning with Peekaboo

When our children were preschoolers they loved the stories of Robert Munsch, especially The Paperbag Princess and Mortimer. When it turned out that an Exchange article writer, Ann Beeler Munsch, was his wife, we were able to convince him to write the article, "Beginning with Peekaboo - Storytelling as Interaction," which is now included in the Beginnings Workshop Book, Literacy. In the article Munsch observed...

"Peekaboo, the most well-known interactive game for very young children, involves a prescribed set of words and actions. It doesn't work very well if just the words are used, or if just the actions are used. It is an interactive sequence, which demands both words and actions for the child to enjoy the situation. In fact, actions without words may arouse fear in the child, rather than delight.

"There are many finger plays for young children which work upon this same principal. The child's interest is held by the physical actions that go along with the words. This type of play makes a great deal of sense because young children become adept physically much sooner than they become adept verbally, and they learn and experience things physically before they learn and experience things verbally. So, the physical aspect of the story can be looked on as a sort of crutch, which eases the child to the verbal element."

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.

© 2005 Child Care Information Exchange - All Rights Reserved | Contact Us | Return to Site