Nurturing the Imagination “…the imagination is not just a faculty separate from the mind. It is the mind itself in its entirety…” —Gianni Rodari (1996, p. 12) Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

The Dramatic Arts The dramatic arts are the most integrative of all the arts. Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Dramatic Arts and Children For young children, drama or pretend play is their natural form of learning about the world. Participating in formal theatrical productions is not appropriate for children under the age of eight. Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Importance of Pretend Play Pretend play helps children develop abstract thought. Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Dramatic Play and Development Dramatic play helps children grow: Physically Socially Cognitively Linguistically Emotionally Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Drama Standards By the end of the primary years, children should: 1.Improvise and write dramatic productions based on experiences 2. Change voice, movements, and actions to represent characters 3. Create settings, props, and costumes to enhance performances 4. Design and plan dramatizations Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Drama Standards (continued) By the end of the primary years, children should: 5.Read about and share information for use in dramatizations 6. Compare, connect, and describe the arts in dramatic projects 7. Explain preferences and meaning in dramatizations Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

The Dramatic Elements Place—setting and props Characterization Language Movement Communication Imagination Narrative Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Assessing Growth Dramatic play can be used as a form of assessment for: Content knowledge Thinking skills Physical skills Language skills Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Meeting Special Needs Set boundaries. Develop familiarity with props. Give asides and prompts. Use signals (auditory and visual). Provide buddies. Combat stereotypes. Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Informal Dramatic Play Elaborating on children’s pretend play develops language and social skills: Facilitate with words. Use props. Model social situations. Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Play Centers Centers provide a stage in which young actors can pretend. Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Prop Boxes Provide a set of objects that spark imaginations. Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Adding Diversity Make sure centers and prop boxes have: Objects reflective of children’s cultures Objects reflective of other cultures Objects used by people with disabilities Dolls representing different genders, races, ethnicities, and ages Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Guided Imagery To develop the imagination, try: Mind pictures Memory pictures Imagining the familiar Trips of the imagination Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Planning Pantomimes Provide adequate space. Know the audience. Have enough props. Be visible and audible. Build on previous experiences. Make boundaries, rules, and signals clear. Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Improvisation and Role-Playing Use these forms to develop: Dramatic skills Social skills Content-based knowledge Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Story Play Finger plays Storytelling Narrative drama Copyright 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.