The tale of Jack and the Beanstalk is one of many traditional folk or fairy stories and tells the tale about a young boy by the name of Jack who lived alone with his impoverished mother. This story is a seasoned member in the collection of primary teaching resources used by teachers of primary school or elementary school age children.

Through a series of events, Jack came by a few beans in exchange for the ownership of the family’s only cow. His mother wasn’t pleased with the exchange and threw the beans out of the window in a flight of outrage. The next day, Jack arose from his bed to find a gigantic beanstalk had sprouted while he had been asleep. Jack made the decision to climb up the beanstalk and ultimately appeared at a magical place in the clouds inhabited by a somewhat territorial giant in his rather giant castle. There are a bunch of different versions of the story. Generally speaking, Jack takes possession of various plunder from the giant’s domain and engages in a hasty retreat. On returning to the ground he chops down the beanstalk and from then on he and his mother live contentedly forever on the proceeds of a chicken that lays golden eggs. Varied versions of the tale include different specific details.

There are moral dilemmas posed by the tale and this provides opportunities to speak about whether Jack did wrong and what should have occurred about it. There are several different versions of Jack and the Beanstalk and depending on the age of the children engaging with the particular stories, they can join in the thought provoking exercise of comparing and contrasting the different versions of the story.

Working on the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk presents a perfect opportunity to find out about beans and to plant and grow them. There are numerous factual books about beans available and a growing display area can be set up. Children could even set up their own plant garden and taste the produce when it is cropped.

Children can keep a journal of the growth of their bean plants and use the info to make graphical representations. This will also instruct young children about the express conditions mandatory for growth and experiments can be carried out to discover about the specific conditions the plants need in order to grow healthily.

Teachers can tell the children about the numerous different types of beans and this will also present opportunities for comparing, drawing, measuring, tasting and researching.

Runner bean plants are excellent for this activity as both germinate and grow swiftly. This makes it simple for the children to take daily measurements and avoids the need to wait for ages as could be necessary with less rapidly growing plants.

The Jack and the Beanstalk story  captivates children from the beginning and offers many opportunities to cover objectives for speaking and listening. It is a particularly ideal story for children from around the age of three to 6 years old. As children become acquainted with the wording of Jack and the Beanstalk they will be able to re-tell the story themselves after having had it read to them a considerable number of times. Younger children benefit from opportunities for speaking, listening and acting.

Children who have more experience can partake in making different versions and endings. Telling the story from an alternative character’s perspective may also be something of a challenge and a good impulse for creative story writing. They could even create their own version of the story. It is generally good practice to act out and use drama ahead of creative writing. Hot seating some of the characters can make a desirable understanding of character portraits.

It is a thoroughly sound idea to provide puppets and interactive objects related to the story so the children can re-tell the story using story props while working together in tiny groups. Children might be allowed access to masks so that they can act out the tale outdoors or in the role-play area. Young children are often avid to perform this sort of activity independently, without adult involvement. Permitting children to re-tell stories with props helps to develop their story telling talents, increases their self-confidence and develops the social capacities of working in a small group. The tale could be taped, filmed or presented to what’s left of the class for further inspiration.

There are other creative things to do that youngsters can indulge in that relate to the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. Children can stimulate their creative passions to paint castles and giants and make their own collages. Once displayed, the classroom will look energetic and colorful. Each child ought to be well placed to have their own creative work on show. The tale of Jack and the Beanstalk is clearly a versatile text that provides many opportunities for learning for the young child.