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Homeschool Theatre Class Explores Playwriting and Puppetry
Students drive the creative vision...
Learn MorePuppetry has always held a unique position within the theatrical world; its mixture of visual art and drama have made it one of the most impactful approaches to storytelling for centuries. Although its artistic contributions have made it one of the most known and beloved art forms around the world, its educational benefits within the early childhood classroom have proven to be one of the most beneficial ways to engage students and build foundational pre-literacy skills that not only support their future learning, but can help establish a lifelong love of reading.
There are layers of research to back up these benefits, but continue reading for just a few of the many ways that applied puppetry can support and build those crucial foundational skills in young learners.
According to research, puppetry can:
Enhance literacy skills
Puppetry provides opportunities for language development, reading comprehension, and writing skills.
- Puppetry can introduce new vocabulary in context, helping students learn and remember new words more effectively.
- Through puppet dialogue, students can practice constructing sentences and using correct grammar in a fun and interactive way.
- Acting out scenes with puppets can even help students better understand and remember what they have read, leading to deeper comprehension.
Puppetry opens a door for a more meaningful and deeper understanding of stories too. A study done with preschool students who had exposure to puppetry found that “children’s focus when a teacher read books at circle time increased and children were able to relate the actions in a story to something that they had experienced in real life” (Rounds 2016).
Create a safe space for conversation and connection
When puppets are presented as safe and fun characters, students view them as non-threatening friends that they can talk to openly. In fact, research shows that children tend to be “fond” of puppets and many times prefer to interact with rather than directly with adults. The interesting flip side to that, according to researchers Kroger and Nupponen (2019), is that “when teachers use puppets, they are more likely to ask open, thought-provoking questions, which creates opportunities for students to talk”. The depth and quality of interaction between students and puppets tends to be richer, intentional, and meaningful.
Encourages use of social emotional skills
Puppets allow children to role-play different scenarios and take on various perspectives, much in the same way any theatre experience can. This helps them understand and empathize with others’ feelings and viewpoints, building empathy and social skills. Puppets can also model appropriate social behaviors, such as sharing, taking turns, and expressing emotions. This is supported by Albert Bandura’s social learning theory that when children observe behaviors, they are more likely to mimic them.
Create a engaging, motivating, and fun learning environment
The playful nature of puppets can make reading and writing activities more enjoyable, which can increase student enthusiasm for literacy. Puppetry makes learning interactive and engaging, capturing student attention and making them more eager to participate. Puppetry activities often involve group work, which helps students practice collaboration, communication, and teamwork. It has been found that with dramatic experiences that include puppets, children are more engaged in group learning (Karaolis, 2023). Interacting with puppets together encourages students to share ideas and support each other’s learning.
Puppetry Residencies with Orlando Family Stage
With all of these amazing benefits getting students excited about stories became the main objective of this task that both Stacie Perez, Director of Arts-Based Learning, and Nic Parks, Director of MicheLee Puppets, took on as part of a new puppetry story drama initiative – and it all started with none other than Dr. Seuss!
Goals
The goal with story drama puppetry was to create an experience where students could not just explore a story, but also interact with a puppet character that would deepen their knowledge, engage them in analyzing a problem or situation, and position them as “experts” that could share advice. It was important to make this experience “fun” so that students wouldn’t view it as a “regular” daily lesson, but rather a special treat that would intrigue and peak their interest – creating a motivating learning environment.
Nic Parks shared “One of the goals of these residencies was to allow for real relationships to the characters and stories they read about. Which broadens the students’ understanding, builds problem solving skills, deepens their capacity for empathy, and fosters a healthy imagination.” The artistic goals were not just limited to incorporating a puppet, but an entire puppet theatre that looked like it came right out of Dr. Seuss’ world, designed to help them make connections and feel like the stories really came to life.
Structure
In an effort to not rush this learning process, the experience was structured as a 3-day residency experience. With each day consisting of a 30-40 minute session.
- During the first session: A teaching artist introduces pictures to discuss various elements students observe, followed by an introduction of a vocabulary word. The teaching artist then does an interactive reading of a book and incorporates the vocabulary. Either during or at the end of the story, the teaching artist presents a problem or situation to the students, and together the group finds a way to communicate with a character from the story.
- During the second session: The puppet arrives for a visit to interact with the students! During this session the puppet presents a problem and asks very strategic and specific questions to get the students thinking about the story and vocabulary word that was introduced. Students are placed in a position of “experts” that share their opinions and advice on how to solve the problem. Towards the end of the session, the puppet sends students on a mission to complete an assignment that helps solve the problem.
- During the third session: Students work on their assignments by creating their own puppet-inspired projects in order to fulfill their special mission and help find a solution to the problem the puppet presented them with. Once the projects are completed, students receive a special message from the puppet congratulating them on a job well done!
Learning Outcomes
While creating the story drama puppetry residency program it was important for the team to create an experience that was guided by student participation and their “expertise”. One of the big goals to keep students motivated and invested in this experience had to do with incorporating their critical thinking skills and ability to solve problems. The Dr. Seuss’ books chosen for this project included: The Lorax and The Cat in the Hat. With The Lorax story, students learned about the importance of protecting the environment, and thought of ideas to help the Once-ler. With The Cat in the Hat, students learned about the difference between organized and disorganized, and thought of ways to clean up when things get a little out of hand and chaotic. One of the best parts of approaching problem solving with puppetry is the level of motivation and engagement from the students – they are eager to interact with the puppet. Stacie Perez shares, “Seeing how excited, engaged, and motivated students get by using puppetry is amazing – they learn so much without even realizing it!”
The excitement from these residencies extended beyond the 3-day experiences. Participating teachers shared that their students have wanted to continue deepening their knowledge of these experiences, whether it is by watching the movie to follow-up, working on new related projects, or reading other Dr. Seuss books to learn about new characters! Their interest for reading and exploring stories blossomed, and with that came a wonderful curiosity that has set the stage for even more learning – all thanks to the wonderful art of puppetry!
Want to learn more or book a puppetry residency for your classroom?
Email sperez@orlandofamilystage.com
Resources:
https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1416&context=honors
