Playing is an activity that affects significantly the psychological development and learning in preschool age. Opinions among researchers and practitioners are divided about adults' role in children's play. Despite being a children's activity, high-level, complex social play hardly appears without adult mediation. According to the narrative play…

In this paper, drawing on Bakhtin's carnival theory, I argue that teachers can play a transgressive role--similar to that of the carnival fool--by taking on a story role and by interacting with the children in the drama convention of Teacher-in-Role. The carnival notion of 'decrowning-crowning' allows me to understand how the teachers disguise and…

A speech-language pathologist and former primary teacher who is now a researcher conducting action research with kindergarten teachers in northern rural Canadian classrooms collaborate in an analysis of one teacher's interactions with her students in a dramatic play center. We use three principles to show how the teacher supports children's…

A growing body of research has focused on the role of play in young children's literacy development and early-literacy learning. In reviewing this research, the authors define the play-literacy nexus as that space where play, language, and emerging literacy behaviors converge and interact. They describe findings about the play-literacy nexus…

Dramatic activities, tasks that unite language learning with bodily movements, voice intonation, emotion, and imagination, may be eased into the traditional classroom structure to enrich and enhance the intellectual aspects of language learning and to motivate students. These activities can be modified to meet the needs and difficulty levels of…

Presents a play tutoring strategy for integrating young developmentally delayed children into play with nondelayed peers. The method used simplifies sociodramatic play through the use of play formats. (RJC)

Provides specific steps and techniques for teaching and using creative dramatics in elementary school classrooms. Notes that creative dramatics address children's powerful emotions and imaginations, which children rely on to explore and understand the world. Discusses four necessary components of creative dramatics--structure, open-endedness, a…

Fingerplays are enjoyable and versatile additions to program activities and can provide an informal opportunity to practice manipulative and coordination skills. As an instructional supplement in a variety of content areas, this form of dramatic play fosters the development of intellectual and language skills. Caregivers of young children often…

An historical, philosophical, and methodological overview of the Dartmouth/Rassias model of foreign language instruction is presented. The model, first developed by John Rassias at Dartmouth College, is an intensive adaptation of the traditional audiolingual approach. Great use is made of dramatic techniques to motivate students and help them…

Examines the use of dramatic techniques as tools for learning in the second language classroom. Discusses different ways to use improvisation. (EKN)

Drama can enhance creativity for young children. Opportunities to participate in dramatic play activities and creative dramatics should be included in the experiences for young children. Through creative dramatics and dramatic play, children develop cognitive, motor, social and emotional behaviors, and they develop aesthetic appreciation. Dramatic…

Various techniques are described for which a teacher might use dramatics in a classroom situation. Questions which might be asked by the classroom teacher include: purpose and use of drama in the classroom; development of skills; classroom space problems; and time. (JN)

Guidelines and examples for using dramatization to teach elementary German are presented. Dramatization can be used productively as an aid to learning even at the very beginning of a course or in an academic environment that is hostile to innovation. In order to learn an utterance in a foreign language, the students must be able to project their…

Describes the collaborative literacy activity that occurred in one teacher's sociodramatic play center in a multi-age classroom (K-2) and a kindergarten classroom. Finds the children in the multi-age group engaged in a larger amount and a broader range of collaborative literacy activities than did the kindergartners; and the collaborative…

The contents of this booklet focus on effective techniques for using dramatics in the classroom and are based on the premise that drama can integrate all skills and help to avoid fragmentation in learning. Chapters discuss motivating the dreamers in the classroom, curriculum dramatics--eclectic teaching, training the teacher, transforming the…