Year 2 had a very special visitor this week, and he was not at all what they expected. Mrs Richardson took her place at the front of the classroom as the Big Bad Wolf, and the children had a few questions for him.
Our Year 2 writers are innovating on the story of Little Red Riding Hood, and before putting pen to paper, they wanted to understand the characters from the inside out. So we turned to hot seating, a drama technique where one person stays in character while everyone else interviews them. Why did the wolf go to Grandma’s house first? How did he feel when Red Riding Hood started asking about his big teeth? Was he really bad, or just very hungry? Mrs Richardson stayed in character throughout, and the children were quick to spot when the wolf’s story didn’t quite add up.
Once the questions had been asked, it was the children’s turn. Taking it in turns, they stepped into the roles of Red Riding Hood, Grandma, the woodcutter and the wolf himself, using what they had learned to think, speak and move as their character would. Suddenly the story was not just something on a page. It was something they could feel, and the ideas began to flow. This is exactly where great writing begins. When children understand why a character acts as they do, their stories become richer, more original and more convincing. Hot seating also builds confidence in speaking, active listening, asking thoughtful questions and seeing a situation through someone else’s eyes, skills that reach far beyond the English lesson.
Our Year 2 children are now busy turning their ideas into stories, and we cannot wait to see where the wolf ends up.
