Dreaming in the DREAM Studio

Dreaming

in the DREAM Studio

by Christine Eaves Innovation & Academic Technology Coordinator

In the DREAM Studio, 5th graders listened to sleep stories and napped to find inspiration for their own sleep stories, which they wrote and recorded under the guidance of writing teacher Mr. Lind. Sleep is crucial to wellness for all living beings, yet many struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep throughout the night. Focusing on health, wellness, and self-care, our 5th graders examined the importance of sleep.

Anxiety, fear of the dark, or monsters under the bed can make going to sleep a dreaded ritual for children or grownups. I suffer from insomnia and frequently wake to worry about irrational things.

I started listening to “sleep stories” during quarantine through the Calm app. I was amazed at how impactful these stories were on my ability to

relax and fall asleep. A sleep story is unique. It is free of conflict, without problems to resolve, nor antagonists to defeat. It is simply a richly descriptive, sensory-filled, immersive, and vivid journey described by a gentle narrator. Their voice is soothing, speaking at a deliberately slow cadence giving the listener many opportunities to drift off to sleep before the end of the story.

Imagining that sleep stories would make for an incredible creative writing project for our 5th graders, I reached out to writing teacher Mr. Lind to further develop the idea of turning the DREAM Studio into a sleep, writing, and recording laboratory. Students

were encouraged to bring pillows and blankets to class to “research” how sleep stories worked by listening to them and intentionally falling asleep in

class. The students learned to write their own impressive sleep stories under the guidance of Mr. Lind. Many students dug deep into their memories of beautiful experiences they’d had as inspiration for their work. They took us to warm beaches at sunset, mysterious mountains, and lonely city streets on a winter’s night. Some students wrote pure fiction and gave the most creative settings. We found ourselves in deep space, hurling past every planet in the universe, and even traveled across the sea from within the belly of a whale. Once written, the students used GarageBand to record and edit their stories. Some students chose to carefully narrate their stories, while some had a family member or teacher read for them. The narration is a performance, so it’s essential to have the right voice for your sleep story.

In March, we will share these recorded stories with our school community when our wellness

focus lands on Sleep. We hope you listen to a new story each night with your family and find helpful and pleasant benefits from our students’ creative work. Sleep well! ▼