Story Reenactment

In researching this strategy… I used information from the article “Enhancing Creative Dramatic Play and Story Reenactments in a Primary Grade Classroom “ by Carla Schierholt (published by The University of Alaska School of Education), my collaborating teacher’s teaching practice, and my own personal experience. Article link: http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED372435

How to: Use in a reading lesson! “They [students] have to make choices about characters, plot, action, and setting. Their sense of how a story “works” is greatly enhanced through this process.” –Schierholt Examples— Have students reenact what they’ve just read. Give students picture cut outs of the story to place in sequence.

Use in a social studies lesson! Example— Have students pose as historical figures and retell their story.

Advantages for ELL students Disadvantages Reenactment often brings a better understanding of cause and effect relationships. (Schierholt) Having students reenact what they’ve read often brings about better comprehension and recall, as well as an ability to richly retell the story. Reenactment can help students to better understand emotional responses and cultural practices (especially helpful for students from countries outside of America) Students who are shy may not enjoy this activity. To accommodate these students, make a plan for them to create the reenactment and then participate with a “supporting role” at your discretion.