Lights...Camera...Action!!!

I don't know what it is about students and their love of acting...wait...yes I do! They LOVE to play dress up. Even older students, who hate to admit it, love to dress up and pretend to be other characters to make people laugh. This is one of the reasons that I love to incorporate drama and plays into the classroom. There are so many benefits to using a script. One of the main benefits, of course, is an increase in reading fluency. Having a student read the same text multiple times increases their use of vocabulary and phrasing. They also have to learn how to use the right tone to say what the character is saying, while conveying the meaning of the line. The format I follow for incorporating drama in the classroom is as follows:

1. Assign students' roles and hand out scripts (I usually have 2 scrips for all of my students. The stories always have multiple characters, acts, and scenes to be divided).
2. Give students at least 3-4 weeks to practice their lines (I even allow some class practice time on Fridays).
3. Students present plays in classroom, or on stage using microphones. (Most students remember lines. Those that don'e are allowed to read scripts, but with expression and action. Many groups of students like to add in electronic sound effects and costumes to spice up their performance). 
4. Sit back, watch...maybe record...the magic that takes place!

"A Wolf, Three Pigs, and a Mudpie"

Cinderella lost her glass slipper in this play!

Two Pigs and A. Wolf...😊

The students are always so awesome from the set designers to the extras needed in scenes. You should take a chance on incorporating live plays in your classroom! The actors/actresses and audience will truly enjoy!

FIN