“I am writing this letter on behalf of Ralph Singh, who has shared his project, Stories to Light Our Way: Journey to the World of Good. As a 35-year veteran educator, an Education Professor, a Responsive Classroom Consulting Teacher and former staff development specialist at BOCES, I see numerous applications for Ralph’s work. The stories are derived from a variety of cultures and faith traditions, and they teach universal values such as forgiveness, generosity, kindness, courage, and self-control. These interface perfectly with the socials skills taught in Responsive Classroom, the Community of Caring, Character Counts,Wise Skills and a variety of other character education and anti-bullying programs. As well, the stories integrate beautifully with the Common Core Standards in Language Arts, specifically ELA Literacy Standards, which require students to:
“Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text” CCSS.ELA- Literacy RL.3.2. and “Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges” CCSS.ELA-Literacy RL.2.3. (©2012 Common Core State Standards Initiative)
The stories can be adapted for a variety of grade levels and can be used as vehicles for teaching a number of NYS Social Studies Standards as well. I see application in the teaching standards dealing withWorld History, Geography, and Civics, Citizenship, and Government.
The stories are accompanied by a series of thought-provoking questions and an audio CD, thus allowing them to be adapted for students with disabilities and students needing to be challenged. I hope you can help communicate the value of these stories to teachers, counselors, and administrators in Elementary, Middle and High School.”
-Lauri Pepe Bousquet Visiting Assistant Professor Dept of Education
Le Moyne College Syracuse, NY