4Real Forums: Fantasy or Real stories???

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Topic: Fantasy or Real stories???

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Sarah M
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Posted: Dec 12 2008 at 2:36pm \| IP Logged

We really jumped into fantasy/fairy tale stories this year, and I expected them to be well received. To my utter shock, my dc don't really like them. Oh, they like some of them. Some really capture their imagination.

But I've discovered that upon starting a story, my dd5 immediately (always) asks, "Is this real?" If I say "No," it's almost as if the children only listen half-way. If I say "Yes", they are all ears. For example, nothing gets their attention better than the Little House series. Recently we began Leif the Lucky, and they are really enjoying that, too. And Bible stories really get their attention.

Here's another example. Yesterday we read Jan Brett's The Wild Christmas Reindeer (a gorgeous book, btw), and the children were only mildly interested. Today we read The Lady of Guadalupe, and after telling the children that it was a true story, you could have heard a pindrop. That kind of silence in my house is nothing short of miraculous

.

I'm starting to wonder if Maria Montessori was really onto something when she promoted that young children only hear things that were really true. I don't think I could (or would even want to) omit all fantasy/fiction-- who could go through childhood without hearing Beatrix Potter or Strega Nona? I'm just surprised at how much more interested my littles are in things that are true and real.

Have any of you found this to be true in your homes?

JodieLyn
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Posted: Dec 12 2008 at 2:47pm \| IP Logged

There may also be a difference in fictional stories that have real principles and ones that don't reflect true things.. those would be true "non-sense".

We do a lot of talking about which parts are real and which are "just story" when readingbooks or watching movies. And yes I think the real holds a bit more fascination than just the fantasy.

But one of the books that held attention the MOST with my kids.. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

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CatholicMommy
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Posted: Dec 12 2008 at 4:18pm \| IP Logged

I am totally on board with Maria Montessori, but I also find that anything that is truly realistic non-fiction or is just plain really good literature (like the Narnia series) will hold the attention of a reality-oriented child.

I do think that children who are well-grounded in reality generally move into the fantasy realm sooner and more appropriately than children who have "too much" fantasy. Where that line is I don't know - and it probably differs with every child.

My son only likes real or realistic stories. He re-enacts the parables from the Bible all day long, including putting some together and imagining his own connections or add-ons... he definitely HAS the imagination - he's just more interested in using his OWN, than someone else's!

And he loves everything Narnia! But I think that it too could be considered a parable, and plenty of those are found in the Bible which is real...

I think I've lost my train of thought as I ponder all these great stories and as I remember I promised to start the next Narnia book tonight and he's already fast asleep at 5:17! (long day!)

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