We have almost completed the Show & Tell for Unit 3. The topic was 'My Favourite Book/Story/Poem'.
For this week (Unit 4), the children will share on their 'Favourite Fairy Tale Character'.
I hope to get parents' help in reiterating to children what fairy tales are. Some children have the impression that Shrek and Tom & Jerry are fairy tales! Below are some pointers you may want to highlight to your child once again. Thank you.
How to identify a Fairy Tale:
1) Setting
- Castles, cottages, mountains, rivers, and forests are typical of fairy tales.
- Apartment builldings and city streets are not typical environments of fairy tales.
2) Characters
- Usually consist of folkloric characters such as fairies, globins, elves, ogres, witches, giants and talking animals.
- Presence of archetypes/Stereotypes. i.e. Princesses and princes are characterized as 'good characters' and witches and ogres are characterized as 'bad characters'. Hence, Shrek (ogre) is not a fairy tale as he is a 'good' ogre.
3) Plot
- Usually starts with 'Once Upon A Time' and ends with 'Happily Ever After'
Fairy tale plot elements might include:
- Hero (or heroine) heroine has bad luck
- Hero (or heroine) must perform impossible tasks
- Hero (or heroine) must fight a villain
- Hero (or heroine) meets magical helpers
- Hero (or heroine) is treated badly
- Hero (or heroine) is in danger
- Magic spells
- Villain is punished
- Hero (or heroine) is rewarded with wealth
- Hero (or heroine) is rewarded with a happy marriage
- Things happen in threes (three battles, three tasks)
Non-fairy tale plot elements might include:
- Hero (or heroine) always has good luck
- Hero (or heroine) is always treated nicely
- Hero (or heroine) solves problems without any help
- Story is realistic-no magic
- No one is punished in the story
- Hero (or heroine) is never in danger
- Hero (or heroine) does everyday ordinary things
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