Applied Theatre & Its Uses in Facilitating Literacy Education

Skyler Harwood

Why Theatre?
Its

more common than you think. Easily integrated. Educates the whole child (Gullatt D., 2008). Its very interactive and engaging.

Why is Theatre Integration Important?

Reading

comprehension Writing Skills Vocabulary Verbal Skills Classroom Community

(Shosh, J. M., & Wescoe, J. A., 2007).

Some Guiding Questions.

How

can theatre accomplish all of that? How can I use it in my classroom? What can I expect from my students? How can this help me differentiate in my classroom?

Applied Theatre
What

is applied theatre?

Instant Theatre (Improv)

C-

character R- relationship O- Objective W where/when

Image Theatre
Lets

create a moment. This morning I woke up, walked downstairs. Saw my mom in the kitchen making pancakes and sat down at the table. As I began to eat my pancakes, my sister came downstairs and threw up all over the carpet in the kitchen. My mom had to clean it up. (Boal, A., 2009).

Playback Theatre
Tell

me about your morning! Im going to ask a lot of questions.

Then, we are going to act out your morning!

Using Theatre to Preface Writing

Roleplaying

before narrative writing.

Acts as a form of planning. Makes first drafts better! (Moore, B., & Caldwell, H., 1993).

Readers Theatre
An

interpretive reading activity in which readers use their voices to bring characters to life. Unlike conventional theatre, readers theatre requires no sets, costumes, props, or memorized lines. Rather the performers goal is to read a script aloud effectively enabling the audience to visualize the action (Martinez, M., Roser, N., & Strecker, S.,1998).

Fantasy Play
Is

it theatre?
Absolutely!

(Pelligrini,

A. D., & Galda, L., 1982). (Williamson, P., & Silvern, S., 1992). (Wolfe, S.,1994).

Classroom Activity
Role

Playing Book Characters

(Fennessey, S., 2006).

How Else Can You Use Theatre?

Get

students interested and involved.

(McMaster, J.,1998).

ELL

Students!

(Gasparro, M., & Falletta, B., 1994).

Standards?

9.1.5.A: Know and use the elements and principles of each art form to create works in the arts and humanities.

9.1.5.B: Recognize, know, use and demonstrate a variety of appropriate arts elements and principles to produce, review and revise original works in the arts.

Theatre: scenario script/text set design Theatre: balance collaboration discipline emphasis focus intention movement rhythm style voice

Theatre: stage productions read and write scripts improvise interpret a role design sets direct

Conclusions
Theatre

can be easily integrated into your literacy instruction. Theatre is a great way to differentiate your instruction in a way that can be beneficial to everyone. Utilizing theatre in the correct ways can help improve your students literacy skills.

Policy
Use

theatre when you want to encourage:

Reading comprehension Detail in writing Rehearsal before writing A positive classroom community New vocabulary

Practice
You

must set your expectations will need a safe space

Things can get out of hand quickly.

Classroom Community: Trust, safety, and belonging

You

Research

This presentation covers the use of applied theatre being used in the classroom to encourage the development of literacy skills. Readers theatre, poetry, theatrical games, reading comprehension through fantasy play and roleplaying all can fall under the definition of applied theatre which is theatre that is used for a greater purpose. The use of theatre within the classroom falls under this umbrella term for theatre and also shows how the use of theatre can be beneficial to the development of literacy skills.

 The

problem with plays is that you are acting out someone elses stories. Professor Gary Grant, Bucknell Department of Theatre and Dance.