Addressing Literacy Addressing Literacy through Improvisation through Improvisation and Play in the Music and Play in the Music

ClassroomClassroomBarb CreiderBarb Creider

Sunrise ElementarySunrise ElementaryLas Cruces, New MexicoLas Cruces, New Mexico

January 8January 8thth, 2009, 2009

With thanks to the With thanks to the Center for Teaching Center for Teaching

Excellence, Excellence, Eastern New Mexico Eastern New Mexico

UniversityUniversityAction Research GrantAction Research Grant

Year 3 Year 3

2008-2009 2008-2009

Why Address Literacy in the Why Address Literacy in the Music Classroom???Music Classroom???

Mandated CurriculumMandated Curriculum School or District invests in a School or District invests in a

commercial packagecommercial package Changes in curricular approaches Changes in curricular approaches

from year to yearfrom year to year Need to be flexible and support the Need to be flexible and support the

overall education of the childrenoverall education of the children

How Can My Classroom How Can My Classroom Support The Children?Support The Children?

Teach MusicTeach Music Engage KidsEngage Kids Address Literacy and NumeracyAddress Literacy and Numeracy Scaffold Future LearningScaffold Future Learning Experience the Creative ProcessExperience the Creative Process Understand the Human ConditionUnderstand the Human Condition Build Confidence in Who They AreBuild Confidence in Who They Are

Why Improvisation and Why Improvisation and Play?Play?

Child-centered. The child does the Child-centered. The child does the thinking, the organizing, the thinking, the organizing, the planning.planning.

Highly pleasurable for children.Highly pleasurable for children. Promotes brain development.Promotes brain development. Facilitates memory and learning.Facilitates memory and learning. Arts centered, creative process.Arts centered, creative process.

What is Creative Drama ?What is Creative Drama ?

ImprovisationalImprovisational Goal is not performance, but Goal is not performance, but

understandingunderstanding Guided by a leader Guided by a leader Children enactChildren enact Children reflect upon human Children reflect upon human

experience.experience.

Purpose of Creative DramaPurpose of Creative Drama

develop language and develop language and

communication abilities, communication abilities, problem-solving skillsproblem-solving skills creativity; act out perceptions of the creativity; act out perceptions of the

world in order to understand it. world in order to understand it. Facilitate learningFacilitate learning

Advantages of Creative Advantages of Creative DramaDrama

logical and intuitive thinking logical and intuitive thinking personalized knowledgepersonalized knowledge yields aesthetic pleasureyields aesthetic pleasure

LiteracyLiteracy

Fluency addresses how smoothly and Fluency addresses how smoothly and accurately children read.accurately children read.

Comprehension addresses both the Comprehension addresses both the literal and inferential understanding literal and inferential understanding of what is read.of what is read.

Drama = Comprehension = Drama = Comprehension = LiteracyLiteracy

Comprehension is defined as “intentional thinking Comprehension is defined as “intentional thinking during which meaning is constructed through during which meaning is constructed through interactions between text and reader” (Harris & interactions between text and reader” (Harris & Hodges, 1995). Thus, readers derive meaning Hodges, 1995). Thus, readers derive meaning from text when they engage in intentional, from text when they engage in intentional, problem solving thinking processes. The data problem solving thinking processes. The data suggest that text comprehension is enhanced suggest that text comprehension is enhanced when readers actively relate the ideas when readers actively relate the ideas represented in print to their own knowledge and represented in print to their own knowledge and experiences and construct mental experiences and construct mental representations in memory.representations in memory.

From National Reading PanelFrom National Reading Panel http://www.centeroninstruction.org/files/TeachingChildrenToReadSummaryReport.pdfhttp://www.centeroninstruction.org/files/TeachingChildrenToReadSummaryReport.pdf

No Literacy Without Play No Literacy Without Play

““As teachers, too often we try to jump As teachers, too often we try to jump to literacy without allowing students to literacy without allowing students to explore and extend the material to explore and extend the material through imitation, action and play. through imitation, action and play. The result? The child remains in the The result? The child remains in the first step, imitation, and not attaining first step, imitation, and not attaining literacy.”literacy.”

Grace Nash, Orff Teacher.Grace Nash, Orff Teacher.

Creative Drama is LiteracyCreative Drama is Literacy

Schema (connections to what they Schema (connections to what they already know)already know)

Describe the setting.Describe the setting. Define the problem.Define the problem. How is the problem resolved?How is the problem resolved? Analyze text into sequence of events.Analyze text into sequence of events.

Creative Drama is also Creative Drama is also Interpretation and Higher Level Interpretation and Higher Level

ThinkingThinking Analyze character and motivation. Analyze character and motivation.

What can you infer about each What can you infer about each character?character?

What happens to each and what What happens to each and what does it mean? How do they feel?does it mean? How do they feel?

How could you show that?How could you show that?

From Theory to PracticeFrom Theory to Practice

Choosing a textChoosing a text Supporting LiteracySupporting Literacy Classroom management Classroom management AssessmentAssessment Stages of DevelopmentStages of Development

Choosing a Story or TextChoosing a Story or Text

Not too busy with detailsNot too busy with details Three or four big gestures suggesting Three or four big gestures suggesting

activitiesactivities Archetypes for characters or eventsArchetypes for characters or events Myths and folk stories a great sourceMyths and folk stories a great source A manageable number of characters A manageable number of characters Have some curricular value outside Have some curricular value outside

of the play itself.of the play itself.

Example of a story to act out:Example of a story to act out:The Story of the RoadrunnerThe Story of the Roadrunner

This story is about a time when birds This story is about a time when birds were still like people. The birds got were still like people. The birds got together to talk. "The different clans together to talk. "The different clans (animals) all have leaders, but we do (animals) all have leaders, but we do not," they said. "We are good for not," they said. "We are good for nothing. It would be good for us to nothing. It would be good for us to choose a leader also. He could then choose a leader also. He could then speak for us about our activities," speak for us about our activities," they said. they said.

So the birds selected the oriole first. So the birds selected the oriole first. They said, "His feathers are very nice." They said, "His feathers are very nice." Because of his feathers they thought Because of his feathers they thought they wanted him to be their leader. they wanted him to be their leader. They discussed this for some time. They discussed this for some time. "Well, never mind him after all," they "Well, never mind him after all," they said. "His long clothes are pretty, but said. "His long clothes are pretty, but he doesn't speak very much. If he he doesn't speak very much. If he becomes our leader he might not speak becomes our leader he might not speak well for us in the future." They put him well for us in the future." They put him aside aside

Then they chose the mocking bird. Then they chose the mocking bird. But they immediately said, "He is too But they immediately said, "He is too talkative. He always speaks bad and talkative. He always speaks bad and mocks things. It would not be good mocks things. It would not be good for him to become our leader. He for him to become our leader. He might speak even worse for us in the might speak even worse for us in the future." They put him aside to choose future." They put him aside to choose again.again.

The next time they chose a blue jay. The next time they chose a blue jay. "What would it be like for us if we "What would it be like for us if we chose him to be the leader?" they chose him to be the leader?" they asked. "He is also like the other one. asked. "He is also like the other one. He talks too much. It would not be He talks too much. It would not be good for him to speak for us. He's too good for him to speak for us. He's too stubborn, and he also brags about stubborn, and he also brags about himself. There would be a lot of himself. There would be a lot of mocking." They also set him aside.mocking." They also set him aside.

"In that case, should it be the "In that case, should it be the roadrunner?" they said. "He's good roadrunner?" they said. "He's good for sure. He would be fast for us in for sure. He would be fast for us in running to meetings. And he also running to meetings. And he also talks well. It would be good for us if talks well. It would be good for us if he became our leader."he became our leader."

Therefore, the roadrunner became Therefore, the roadrunner became the leader. Nowadays, roadrunner is the leader. Nowadays, roadrunner is the leader of all the birds.the leader of all the birds.

http://www.turtletrack.org/Issues03/Co08092003/CO_08092003_Roadrunner.htmhttp://www.turtletrack.org/Issues03/Co08092003/CO_08092003_Roadrunner.htm

Supporting LiteracySupporting Literacy

Practice the reading out loud.Practice the reading out loud. Practice the difficult names.Practice the difficult names. Provide cultural contexts for the Provide cultural contexts for the

reading—Youtube, other videos, reading—Youtube, other videos, texts, explanations.texts, explanations.

Classroom ManagementClassroom Management

Ground RulesGround Rules Situations that come upSituations that come up Copying each otherCopying each other Struggles with understanding Struggles with understanding

boundariesboundaries

Typical problems:Typical problems: If I can’t be the princess, I’m not playing.If I can’t be the princess, I’m not playing. Let’s you and I go off in the corner and Let’s you and I go off in the corner and

wrestle.wrestle. Nah, let’s go bang on the instruments.Nah, let’s go bang on the instruments. Nobody wants me in their group.Nobody wants me in their group. I told them what to do but they won’t listen.I told them what to do but they won’t listen. Teacher, I can be the dragon for that group, Teacher, I can be the dragon for that group,

right?right? Hey, Ya wanna hear me play “Mary Had A Hey, Ya wanna hear me play “Mary Had A

Little Lamb?”Little Lamb?” Wait! The pink ones are all mine! I called Wait! The pink ones are all mine! I called

dibs!dibs!

Developing Creative DramaDeveloping Creative Drama

At first do a transformation exerciseAt first do a transformation exercise Act out all the parts of a story bit by Act out all the parts of a story bit by

bitbit Large group before small groupLarge group before small group Focus on individuals: Show us what Focus on individuals: Show us what

you were doingyou were doing Go to pairsGo to pairs

Go to structured groupsGo to structured groups Unstructured groupsUnstructured groups

Modeling:Modeling: Watch videosWatch videos Act for the kidsAct for the kids Act with the kidsAct with the kids Define and discuss copying—Define and discuss copying—

developing ideasdeveloping ideas

AssessmentAssessment

Plan Do ReviewPlan Do Review Student CritiquesStudent Critiques Revisions of SkitsRevisions of Skits RubricsRubrics Stages of DevelopmentStages of Development

RubricsRubrics

Define what makes a good Define what makes a good performance:performance:

Is there action? Does the action Is there action? Does the action support the story?support the story?

Can you hear the reader?Can you hear the reader? Does the music fit the story?Does the music fit the story?

Musical DevelopmentMusical Development

Role of music in these playsRole of music in these plays Sound effectSound effect Development of motivesDevelopment of motives Observing musical playObserving musical play Affirming musical PlayAffirming musical Play

How to promote musical How to promote musical play play

Tell the story with sound effectsTell the story with sound effects Let kids model this Let kids model this Characters still need to be assigned Characters still need to be assigned

or everyone will play all the time.or everyone will play all the time.

Motives Support the Story Motives Support the Story

Introduce and demonstrate the Introduce and demonstrate the concept of motives.concept of motives.

Tell the story with motivesTell the story with motives Let kids model thisLet kids model this Development of a motiveDevelopment of a motive

Honor Each ContributionHonor Each Contribution

Listen and complimentListen and compliment Write down what they bring youWrite down what they bring you Motive presented by one child, then Motive presented by one child, then

copied and developed by many copied and developed by many childrenchildren

Evolving and transforming motives Evolving and transforming motives (examples)(examples)

Matching the motives to the needs of Matching the motives to the needs of the story.the story.