Hansel And Gretel And The Lovely

Old Lady!

Hansel And Gretel And The Lovely

Old Lady!

Email: talktous@podar.org

This book is dedicated to the innocence in little

children. This book is dedicated to all parents and

teachers to understand that every song, every story,

every interaction with children can have a lasting effect

on their life values, so we need to be careful and rework

certain traditional forms that we are using in our

kindergartens, afterall it takes a village to raise a child.

Vision by - Dr. Pavan Podar

Two little siblings are ill treated by their stepmother and then left in the

forest by their parents. In the forest tired and hungry they reach a lovely

chocolate house and an old lady invites them in. but the old lady was a

witch who wants to eat them and then the two kids play smart and escape

from there.

A very interesting story, lots of adventure and especially attractive is the

chocolate house for kids. But are all stepmothers bad? Do parents really

leave their kids in the forest? Are all old ladies just witches in disguise?

The story definitely has a dark side that needs to be changed for little

children.

To change all that, the Level 3 (age 5) children of Podar

Jumbo Kids Plus, as part of a project titled ‘AVISHKAR -

Change and Creativity in Childhood’, discussed a new

version of Hansel and Gretel and have drawn their own

story book. This little new version is an attempt 'by' the

children, 'for' the children and 'of' the children as part of

AVISHKAR.

Enjoy this lovely reader story book, written by the kids, illustrated by the

kids to make this world a better place for you, me and the entire human

race…………. Swati Popat Vats-Director.

CURRICULUM AND CONTENT DEVELOPM ENT

E A R L Y C H I L D H O O D

According to experts there are stages in a young child's learning to use books-

Based on Schickedanz (1999).

Looks attentively at pictures in a book.

Recognizes a particular book.

Is able to turn the pages of a board book.

Points to pictures in a book.

Holds a book right side up.

Looks at a book from front to back, or whatever way is appropriate for

the language in which the book is written and the culture from which it

comes.

Recognizes a book by the cover.

Has a favorite story or book.

Makes comments about pictures in books.

"Reads" the words in a book (telling the story by looking at the pictures).

Uses a word or phrase that clearly comes from a book or story with

which the child is familiar.

Indicates that an adult reading a book has left out or added some words

or skipped a page in a favorite story.

Predicts what might happen next or what the book is about from looking

at the cover.

Tells a simple story.

Pretends to be "reading" to other children, or to a doll or teddy.

Takes notice of letters and words in a book by pointing to them or asking

about the print.

Why are stories important for young children?

Experts in brain research confirm that warm, loving, and consistent relationships

with adults are essential for healthy brain development in young children (Shore

1997; McCain & Mustard 1999; Shonkoff & Phillips 2000; Lally & Mangione

2006); and stories help build these warm, loving and consistent relationships

between adults and children both at home and at school.

When stories are part of children's lives from birth, the children benefit in three important ways.

1. Stories enrich children's lives.

2. Strengthen relationships.

3. Support their emerging literacy skills.

Stories can reflect past experience, expand what is happening in the

present, and give clues about the future. With help from sensitive and

skilled adults, through stories very young children can:

Access information—For example, discovering the sounds various animals

make and what they eat; why the wind blows; what other people do, think,

and feel.

Learn new concepts—For example, a young child's experience with cats

may be limited to one visit with her neighbor's pet, but a book about their

different colors, shapes and sizes can increase her awareness and

expand her original concept of what "cat" means.

Learn to wonder and ask questions, and have the satisfaction of getting an-

swers to their questions—for example, guessing when the adult says,

"And what do you think happened next?”

Experience the rhythms, rhymes and beauty of language— for example in

Dr Sues books.

Stories can also serve as ‘Discussion starters’ like; do you think the Witch

was right? This helps children think about the stories and analyze whether

the characters were right or wrong in their behavior. Discussion starters

helps kids talk about their views and helps adults understand the emerging

thinking and moral skills in children.

By responding to their stories this way, we are sending children the mes-

sage that we understand and value what they think and say.

Shift B. Level 3. Div A

Anwita PriyadarshiniMain Teacher

Lima MerlyinAsst Teacher

Bharti PawarDidi

Melanie MathiasPedagogist

Devangi LodayaSupervisor

Anuj Desai Anniruddha MaydeoArjun KhemaniDhvani Tandel Ayush Dicholkar

Vedant Kambli Tanisha Agrawal

Akash Gaikwad

Vedant KapoorZayaan Khan Zaki Navroz

Akshainee Negi Aayoush Iyer Aaniya JainAkshan Mohaney

Mannat HussainNidhi JainPranav Goyal Nikita Gola

Sarrah Rangwala Pranavi Mahnori Shardul Narvekar Sarah Ahmed Prapti Chheda

Madhusmita Talukdar

Neet Dedhia Eishaan Nandi

Khushi Shah

Kamran Faroqui

Lavya Kapoor

Hiya Chedda

Manasa Gopisetty

Anish Mantri

Podar Jumbo Kids PlusShift B. Level 3. Div C

Naseem KhanAsst Teacher

Hina ShroffMain Teacher

Usha BorkarDidi

Melanie MathiasPedagogis

Devangi LodayaSupervisor

Zaid Jaka Subiksha ShalleshZoya JumaniAditya Rahate Aanya Kumar

Krish Mundhwa Kia AsherLaiba KhanNiyati Singh Mahfrin Nadirshah

Shreyas Jadhav Prithviraj KhannaSoham Satpathy

Ashwat Sureka

Dweep BamaniaHrishikesh Advani Harsh Jain

Jinisha Jain Ira KasodekarKalyani Sonawane

Aryan Jangam

Jegeeta Bera Jash Savani

Baneekaur Bindra

Arunabh Vohra

Ariyan Shetty

Amaan Tanwarer

Aditya Venkatraman

Saket Valiya Rishitaij Bawiskar

Madhav Bhora

Podar Jumbo Kids Plus

We started a discussion on Hansel and Gretel and asked

some questions to the kids, “What if the old lady was not a

witch? why did she call the kids to her house?” And after a

lot of giggly fun ideas, we liked the idea, maybe she

wanted them to brush their teeth! Yes, what if the little

children were just two naughty children who did not listen

to their parents advice and wandered and got lost in the

forest next to their home. And then tired and hungry they

came to a chocolate house and started eating chocolate,

when a kind old lady came out and took them inside to

teach them about dental hygiene as all the sweets can

cause harm to their teeth!

Voila, we have all the fun elements of the old Hansel and

Gretel without the 'dark and depressing' elements. Isn't it

a great idea?

So read the new version- HANSEL AND GRETEL AND

THE LOVELY OLD LADY! And yes, don't miss the section

at the end on dental hygiene.

Why did we want to change the story of Hansel and Gretel? Old version

Hansel And

Gretel

Hansel And

Gretel

You will notice that all the children’s drawings have comments written by the teacher. This is called ‘documentation’; a practice adopted by us from Reggio schools where a teacher asks the child about the drawings and then writes down all points that were mentioned by the child.

Notice the ‘Documentation’ in the drawings.

A poor woodcutter and his wife had two children named

Hansel and Gretel. They lived in a small cottage, with a

lovely garden that leads to the deep forest.

Their mother died when they were young. Hansel and

Gretel were very sad. Soon their father got married again,

but their stepmother was very cruel.

One day, she took the children deep into the forest and left

them there. But they were clever, so they dropped some

stones on their way, as they knew their step mother was

going to leave them in the forest, which she did. But, the

stones helped them track the route and get back home.

Next morning, on the pretext of collecting wood, their step

mother took Hansel and Gretel to the woods. This time they took

breadcrumbs with them, which they dropped on the way so that

they could find their way back home. Alas! The birds ate all the

crumbs and they couldn't find the path that led back home.

Hansel and Gretel went deeper and deeper into the forest.

They were hungry and tired. Finally, after walking for a

long time, they saw a cottage made of chocolate, candies,

and cake. “Look, Hansel! A chocolate brick!” shouted

Gretel in delight and both ate it hungrily.

Now, a wicked witch lived there.

When she saw Hansel and Gretel,

she wanted to eat them.

She grabbed the children and locked them in a cage. The witch decided to make a soup out of Hansel

and eat him first.

She began boiling a huge pot of water for the soup.

Just then, Gretel crept out of her cage.

She gave the wicked witch a mighty push frombehind and the witch fell into the boiling water.

Hansel and Gretel found treasure lying around the cottage. They carried it home with them. Their stepmother had died and their father welcomed them back with tears of joy. They never went hungry again!

Why did we want to change the story of Hansel and Gretel?

Rework Level 3

‘Change and Creativity’

to Create

Hansel And Gretel And The Lovely

Old Lady!

Hansel And Gretel And The Lovely

Old Lady!

You will notice that all the children’s drawings have comments written by the teacher. This is called ‘documentation’; a practice adopted by us from Reggio schools where a teacher asks the child about the drawings and then writes down all points that were mentioned by the child.

Notice the ‘Documentation’ in the drawings.

One summer morning, Hansel and Gretel decided to wander in the nearby forest to seek adventure. As they wandered they met birds and animals who told them about a chocolate house deep in the forest.

They walked and walked with birds and animals guiding them the path to the chocolate house.“There it is”, screamed Gretel with joy.“Wow!” exclaimed Hansel. “The entire house made of chocolate. I wish we were living here.”

Slam! They pushed open the door, to find no one in there.“Look Hansel, everything in here is made of chocolate. The door, the lamp, the table and even the clock” cried Gretel with joy.

Seeing so many chocolates around, they couldn't resist themselves and ate and ate till they were full.

“Whose entered my house and left the door open?” asked the Witch as she entered the house. “Oops! We were not aware that someone lives in here” said the siblings.

“Hmm… It's ok, but next time be careful. It's ok to eat chocolates, but not so much at one go.

Eating too many sweets could give us cavities

and could cause our teeth to decay. That's why

we must brush our teeth twice a day to get rid

of these germs that keeping growing in our

mouth,” said the Witch.

“Ohh!” said Hansel and Gretel. “We didn't realize.”“No problem” said the Witch, handing over a toothbrush and toothpaste to Hansel and Gretel.

“Come with me to the sink” said the Witch.

She also removed her toothbrush and toothpaste and showed Hansel and Gretel how to press pea a size toothpaste onto their toothbrush.All of them together took a pea size toothpaste onto their toothbrushes and began brushing their teeth.The Witch said, “We brush our teeth for 2 good minutes to get rid of the germs.”

Chorus:You do the Brushy, Brushy,

And you move it all around.That's what it's all about.

Brushy, Brushy

Now put some water in.Don't let the water out.Now put some water in,And swish it all about.

Chorus;You do the Brushy, Brushy,

And you move it all around.That's what it's all about.

Rinse out!

You put your toothpaste on.Watch it squeeze right out.

Pull our toothpaste on,And squish it all about.

Chorus:You do the Brushy, Brushy,

And you move it all around.That's what it's all about.

Brushy, Brushy

You put your toothbrush in,Don't take your toothbrush out.

You put your toothbrush in.And you scrub it all about.

(Sung to the tune of "The Hokey Pokey")

As they were brushing they sang the brushy brushy song,

After they finished brushing, Hansel and Gretel realized it was time for them to go home.

“Before you go home, I have a little present for the two of you” said the Witch in a surprising tone.

“Present!” exclaimed Hansel and Gretel in excitement. They were so happy to see glittering gift wrappers and opened them as soon as they got it.

Guess what was in. The Witch had gifted them a toothbrush and toothpaste.

Aww..Thank you so much for this wonderful gift. We promise to brush our teeth twice a day without fail.

They gave a big hug to the Witch and thanked her for everything she taught them.

And for two good minutes” promised Hansel and Gretel.

From that night onwards, Hansel and Gretel always brushed their teeth twice a day and never broke the promise.

Hansel and Gretel went home and that night for dinner they shared their adventurous experience about the Witch with their parents and also showed the gift they received from her.

A good toothbrush for kids is one with a small head, soft with rounded bristles.

Choose a brush that's decorated with favorite characters or you can buy stickers and decorate the

brush, or do it together with your child. This makes the toothbrush 'belong' to your child.

If there is a toothbrush available with a music or lights option, good for children who are fussy. The

music should last for exact 2 minutes which is the recommended time that tooth brushing should last.

You can even make your own brushing song and sing while your child brushes. This makes the

brushing interesting but remember to sing it till the brushing is over!

Music, songs, lights, stickers are all okay, but what is more important is the brushing technique more

than the brush.

(adapted from 'What to expect in the toddler years'- BY Heidi Murkoff)

All about dental hygiene-

How to select a good toothbrush-

Brushing technique-First of all remember YOU are the designated 'brusher' till your child learns. So yes, get ready to be

there during brushing time!

Also remember that children become independent tooth brushers only between the age of 5 to 10!

So enjoy your designation till then.

Working one tooth at a time, use a gentle back and forth motion across the chewing and

inner surfaces(finish one side first before going on to the other so you don't lose track).

Switch to a circular motion along the sides and the outer gum lines(with the brush at a 45-

degree angle).

Lightly brush the gums where teeth haven't yet erupted, or wipe them with a gauze pad,

baby finger brush, or washcloth, and also do a gentle once-over on the tongue(where a lot

of bacteria can hang out).

Start teaching your little one how to rinse after brushing (most toddlers master the rinse

and spit around age 2).

As always , it's easiest to teach through example: show him or her how you lean over the

sink and say ''ptoey.''

Rinsing is important not only because it removes the toothpaste before it's swallowed, but

it also eliminates bits of loosened food that would otherwise resettle on the teeth.

Remind your child that keeping those teeth clean helps them stay strong and healthy, so

they won't get ''boo-boos.''

Also point out that strong teeth will let him or her eat yummy food.

And yes, brushing twice a day is most healthy.

The healthy brushing technique-

Tooth TimetableThere is a wide range of age when it comes to the tooth timetable, which is tooth

eruptions in your child. The diagram given below is an indication.

Handling the hole in the mouth!-

Tentatively from 4 years onwards the milk teeth will start falling off in your

child to be replaced with permanent set of teeth. But remember this-

Just because milk teeth will ultimately fall off does not mean that kids and

parents can ignore the hygiene of the milk teeth.

The permanent teeth will be as 'healthy' as the milk teeth.

Inform and guide your child about the 'tooth falling' process.

Also prepare them to be ready to face comments both from adults and

children about the new 'hole in the mouth'.

Common questions your child can be asked by friends and well meaning

adults are- who took your tooth? Did the mouse eat your tooth? Now what

will happen how will you eat etc.

Think again about the 'tooth fairy' option for your child. The other point of

view of the tooth fairy and giving money to your child for the fallen tooth in

the name of the tooth fairy is that we are teaching kids to 'sell their body

parts'! Hmm…. Think about it!

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