Are you looking for new and exciting ways to keep your young learners engaged while building comprehension? Why not try using Theatre in the classroom?
Storytelling has brought lessons to life before we even had written words!
So it makes sense that Theatre would provide a fun and engaging way for students to improve their understanding of Language Arts. In this blog post, I'm sharing the fantastic takeaways from my podcast interview with Art Aviña, an L.A.-based Early Childhood Educator and Theatre Teacher, to discuss boosting comprehension through Theatre.
How does a Theatre Program work in an elementary school setting? Lessons are one hour per week; each lesson focuses on a skill or story element. Your first introduction is acting, and practice using your body and voice, which leads to more specific topics like improv and mining. Lastly, if the teacher desires, we create a short film!
How improve can help students with comprehension?
The theater is more than just a form of entertainment. It's an art. Theater brings stories to life through music and movement, which Sometimes help children understand what they're learning in school or at home better!
What advice would you give educators who love this idea but don't think they are creative enough to pull it off?
If you're like I was, bored with the curriculum or just looking for new ways to engage your students, I would say for a moment, throw away the prescribed curriculum. Go out on a limb and try some theater, art, or music. Be creative, and do something that you find fun. If you're having fun in the classroom and telling stories - it's so much easier to get learners to connect and comprehend the information.
If you're looking for ways to bring your stories to life or want to know more about how Art Aviña uses Theatre in his classroom, be sure to listen to this week's episode of The Morning Meeting Podcast.