Based on the view that creative play and hands-on experiences are essential to the development of well-balanced children and that their teachers have the responsibility to create an environment that can stimulate children's senses and curiosity, this book provides activities incorporating the use of sand and water tables into the classroom on a…

Reports on a study that compared drawing, discussion, and dramatic play as follow-up activities for reading aloud. Concludes that the children who played had better comprehension of the stories read to them. (FL)

Argues that sociodramatic play in early childhood education provides children with developmental gains in social, emotional, cognitive, intellectual, language, and creative spheres. Stresses the importance of proper teacher education and practice of classroom sociodramatic play. Summarizes survey of preschool and kindergarten teachers regarding…

Research on play and its positive effect on children's development is abundant. Adults can ensure that children receive the full benefits of play by becoming effective playleaders and by guiding children through enriching play experiences. Adults need to let children know that play is an important part of their educational experience. This can be…

Research indicates that active adult involvement in children's play can increase the social level of play and have a beneficial impact on children's cognitive growth. To become appropriately involved in children's play, daycare providers and other adults need to understand how time, space, experiences, and materials affect children in play…

In the back to basics era, creative dramatics should still be used in the English classroom because it helps to develop the entire child. For some time, teaching strategies have been directed at the left brain, the hemisphere that deals with logical and linear functions. Recently, however, attention has been given to the right side of the brain,…

The author presents some affective educational activities for young children who may be in a mainstreamed setting which addresses some of the misconceptions about exceptional people. Hands on interactions using puppetry, dramatic play, and literature are designed to help children: learn about handicaps; learn about aids such as wheelchairs,…

This trainer's guide is designed for day care center directors and others responsible for teacher training and parent education who wish to develop and present workshops based on the manual "Blocks - A Creative Curriculum for Early Childhood." The guide is divided into five sections, called "sessions," which correspond to the…

Role-playing and creative dramatics provide children with practice in a great number of vital human concerns. A sample lesson for use in elementary grades is designed to help children understand systems thinking. A variety of global concepts are presented in the lessons. (SM)

Creative dramatics can be used to teach young children a variety of communication skills. Noisy stories help children to learn and make sounds and later can be used for dramatization purposes. Narrative pantomimes can teach children word order, sensory awareness, and nonverbal communication. Phrases, pictures, and props help stimulate imagination,…

This module presents a guide for the study of the Navajo Indians' life and customs as they existed about thirty years ago. The length of time necessary to complete the activities, which are designed for use in kindergarten through third grades, may vary from one to two weeks. The module includes language, science, mathematics, art, music, dramatic…

This booklet was developed from the premise that the activity of drama is central to a child's language experience. Its purpose is to help the classroom teacher initiate drama activities, understand the relationship of the activities to one another, use drama activities as an integral part of the classroom curriculum, and determine whether the…

Defines "creative rehersal" as a semi-structured playing of a narrative thread in a spontaneous manner by a child or group of children and an adult in order to practive problem solving abilities and describes the interaction of a child and an adult in such a situation. (MH)

Describes an experiment in which 43 children aged 12 to 13 years were withdrawn from their regular classes to spend a week in a French immersion program. The week was organized around the theme of the French Revolution; a particular part was assigned to each student. All activities were in French. (SED)

Describes a case study which collected journals from, interviewed, and observed 23 children as they participated in a 6-week creative drama workshop using the Rutgers Imagination Method. Finds improvement in specific areas of learning, including vocabulary, imagery abilities, and dramatic behavior. (SR)