Literacy & DramaLiteracy & Drama

Opening the door to Literacy through Drama

Using dramatic activities as an

instructional tool in the language arts

classroom is based on the principle that

drama directly involves the child, and an involved

child is interested in learning.

The Purpose of Theatre The Purpose of Theatre ArtsArts

Through theatre activities that foster creative expression, discipline, collaboration, self-awareness and personal transformation, students of diverse backgrounds and abilities channel their energies into inspiring artistic endeavors.

Students learn to value the literary, oral and cultural traditions of societies.

Students learn to express themselves and develop empathy for their own and other’s situations.

Students begin to understand universal themes and ways of looking at the world, and they develop their own vision and ideas.

Students develop into confident learners who are better prepared to participate actively in their education, community and social lives.

LEARNING THROUGH EXPERIENCELEARNING THROUGH EXPERIENCE

Students learn best when they are allowed to experience something for

themselves.

Experience leads to understanding.

““A man who carries a cat by A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.” can learn in no other way.”

-- Mark Twain-- Mark Twain

J.C. McMaster reviewed research studies regarding

the use of drama in literacy education

and found that drama is an

effective medium for literacy

development in NINE areas.

FIRST,

students develop affect through drama. Drama

creates motivation for students to participate and

facilitates students' responses in

reading instruction.

SECOND,

dramatization is a source of

scaffolding for emergent readers by providing rich

background experiences for future reading.

THIRD,

dramatization leads students to develop

symbolic representation,

which is the same concept children

require in order to understand the

alphabetic principle.

FOURTH,

dramatic activities provide students a

meaningful environment where they can practice

oral reading repeatedly to

develop fluency.

FIFTH,

new vocabularies presented in the drama context

provide students opportunities to

acquire the meanings visually,

aurally, and kinesthetically.

SIXTH,

drama helps students acquire the knowledge of word

order, phrasing, and punctuation that contribute to the

meaning of a written sentence.

SEVENTH,

drama activities help students read

different forms of discourse,

especially in familiarizing children

with nonfiction.

EIGTH,

students monitor their own

comprehension in drama and develop

effective reading strategies.

NINTH,

teachers can use drama as an

assessment tool since it provides

immediate feedback about students'

understanding of new reading materials.

New York State Learning StandardsStandard 1:   Creating, Performing, and Participating in the ArtsStudents will actively engage in the processes that constitute creation and performance in the arts (dance, music, theatre, and visual arts) and participate in various roles in the arts.

Standard 2:   Knowing and Using Arts Materials and ResourcesStudents will be knowledgeable about and make use of the materials and resources available for participation in the arts in various roles.

Standard 3:   Responding to and Analyzing Works of ArtStudents will respond critically to a variety of works in the arts, connecting the individual work to other works and to other aspects of human endeavor and thought.

Standard 4:   Understanding the Cultural Contributions of the ArtsStudents will develop an understanding of the personal and cultural forces that shape artistic communication and how the arts in turn shape the diverse cultures of past and present society.

New York City’s BlueprintNew York City’s Blueprint Theatre Making: Acting,

Playwriting/Play Making, Designing and Technical Theatre, and Directing

Developing Theatre Literacy

Making Connections

Working With Community and Cultural Resources

Exploring Careers and Life long Learning

All information on this power point presentation can be found on my webpage: http://homepages.nyu.edu/~rrm244/literacy.html