This document provides information about a learning task using finger puppets to retell stories. Students use finger puppets to represent characters as they act out and speak the story. This activity accommodates different learning styles and develops fine motor and language skills. The document describes how to introduce the activity, make finger puppets, assess student performance, and includes extensions such as creating their own puppets or telling stories through animation.

1. ECED4080 Creating Materials for Use by Young Children
Sample Album of Learning Task Documentation Entry
Learning Task: Finger Puppets, Retelling Stories
Description:
Students use finger puppets to represent
different characters in a story. Finger
puppets can also be used as the narrator who
tells the story. The child moves the finger
puppet to role-play the actions of specific
characters. Children who are reluctant to Student Characteristics Accommodated:
speak in front of others will often use their
• Linguistic, kenestetic, and spatial
voice to deliver lines because it is actually
intelligences are accommodated in this
the story character that is speaking and not
activity as students retell stories using
themselves.
finger puppets.
• Having students identify which puppet
Learning task adapted from:
from an available group best would
http://www.ichild.co.uk/activities/view/616/
represent each character forces them to
Sheep-Finger-Puppet This learning task is
review the features and nature of the
based on the original design of Safa Ahmed
character.
Said AL-Hinai.
• Children only engage in this activity
Age Group: when they have been attentive to
3 to 6.5 years stories and can identify several aspects
of a story’s narrative scaffolding.
Subject Area:
Language Student Learning Outcomes:
Subject Strands: Reading:
Reading • identifies favourite books and
retells familiar stories – (This is
Subject Topic: retelling NOT reading)(Has a
Retelling stories preliminary understanding of
narrative scaffolding: characters,
Background Information: setting, time occurred, problem of
Children absolutely love finger puppets. plot and solution)
They can use them to characterize story
events by moving the puppets in different Prerequisite Concepts, Skills, & Values:
ways and directions. Rolls from hair curlers • follows class routines for selecting,
make a great start for a finger puppet. You using and returning individual learning
can easily give it a little character with tasks
scraps of felt, yarn, material, fun foam, • adopts class routines for obtaining
paper, buttons, etc. Finger puppets also help teacher support to demonstrate
with developing fine motor skills by which learning tasks and to obtain assistance
child can write or print. In this learning • has listened to many stories read aloud.
task, the child is actually using a finger
• recognizes settings and characters in
puppet made by the teacher.
stories
• recognizes events within stories.
• controls fine motor skills to be able to
move the finger puppet
• eye-hand coordination

2. ECED4080 Creating Materials for Use by Young Children
Learning Theory & Instructional Strategy: Preparation:
• the activity is based on the cognitive- • Choose a brush roller that
behavioral approach. Puppets get accommodates your finger's size.
access to the child's thoughts and • Roll the felt on the brush roller.
behaviors. You could roll it twice to have
• the child can practice some social thicker finger puppet and to
skills that he/she has demonstrated make it looks nicer. While you
through play in a context of a role- are rolling, keep additional felt to
play situation using puppets. Child cover the puppet's head.
can build appropriate social skills • Cut the felt piece that you have
with puppet assistance. rolled. Then fix it nicely on the
• finger puppet helps with language brush roller using glue.
development. • Cut the outline of the character’s
• have the child distinguish between various parts (ears, legs, nose and
real and imaginary mouth), and then add it to your
finger puppet using glue.
Introduction of the Learning Task: • Do not forget to put on eyes.
• It is best to introduce this activity
during story time while children are
grouped together in a circle.
• Show children the finger puppets and
give an additional explanation of
how they are used.
• Describe when they are to be used to
represent characters in a story.
• At this time, allow individuals to put
a puppet on and attempt to move the
puppet and speak as a story
character.
• Ensure that the puppet fits well and
that the child can move the puppet as
they tell the story.
• Show children the place where the Tools Needed:
activity is kept so that they can have
• Felt
the access to it within the individual
• Brush Roller
learning time.
• Wool
• Show children how to move the
puppet in a real world manner so that • Storybook
it seems to become alive.
Extension Activities:
Checklist of Tray Items: • A story can be acted out by a
• Tray or box containing finger group of children. Each one has
puppets a finger puppet of a character to
characterize its actions/role in the
• Storybook.
story.
• Finger puppets can be used for
other functions such as modeling
classroom routines, helping to
teach other children a new song.

3. ECED4080 Creating Materials for Use by Young Children
Enrichment Activities:
1. The teacher can help children to make
their own finger puppet using similar
materials. The child can choose any
character that they like from a favorite
story. This helps a child to understand
and interact more with the story than Evaluation Rubric:
when puppets are made or purchased by 1. Does not remember traits and
a teacher.
actions of the story character to
2. Students can create more advanced
use the finger puppet to retell
finger puppets with more obvious facial
expressions using other materials. even small parts of the story.
3. Children could retell a story through 2. Is able to tell parts of the story
computer animation characters using using finger puppets to speak ,
applications such as Kid Pix 3D. but does not move the puppet in
conjunction with the words
Assessment Techniques: spoken.
• Teacher observes child while playing 3. Retells the complete story with
with the finger puppet (use of fine only a few omissions. Causes
motor skills, eye-hand coordination) finger puppets to act and speak
and provides formative feedback. dialogue very close to that in the
• Teacher listens to the language used by original story.
the child. In addition, notices whether 4. Retells a story without error
the child able to express the emotions
using finger puppets to interact
of the character through changes in
with one another. Use creative
voice.
voice inflection to distinguish
• The teacher makes anecdotal notes
about what is observed. which character is speaking.
• Child self-corrects the story details as
he/she is moving the puppet. Vocabulary:
Finger puppet, felt, character, story, retell,
Feedback Suggestions: voice
• Please have your finger fitting well
References:
within the brush roller so that the
http://www.ichild.co.uk/activities/view/616/
puppet does not droop.
Sheep-Finger-Puppet
• Show me how you can make the
finger puppet speak.
Comments, Hints, & Suggestions:
• How can you help your character to
• The teacher should become familiar
come on-stage without just popping
with puppet movements and actions
up?
such as entering the stage, facing the
• Try to move the puppet body and audience when talking, and making
head as it is speaking so that the various gestures.
audience understands who is
talking. Key Words:
• Tell me, which character from the Finger puppet, character, retell, roller, felt,
story your finger puppet is playing. story, glue, woll
• Tell about an event in the story
where your character is – sad/happy/

4. ECED4080 Creating Materials for Use by Young Children
excited/afraid etc?