Community Performance Theater is a vehicle for creating collective knowledge based on oral history, opening dialogue in an urban setting, and paving the way for social change.

Children are naturally curious, and try to make meaning of the world around them. They love to watch things grow and take note of dramatic changes in science and nature. The authors discuss how one can support children's investigations, as well as their growing capacity to notice and understand growth and change. The authors present some exciting…

Concern over students deemed "at-risk" constructs youth as deficient and deviant without considering the experiences of youth themselves. My interest in "at-risk" grows out of my previous work with youth, in various drama education contexts and the fact that youth have told me they found the label offensive. My research…

At a time when college administrators, faculties, and parents are debating the purpose and value of higher education, the rising cost of a baccalaureate degree, and the role education plays in the twenty-first century, a major in theatre, theatre studies courses, and theatre activities have not received much interest. It is not uncommon to hear,…

Suggesting that reading plays aloud is an effective way to promote literacy and history in the grade 4-8 classroom, this book presents 22 short, readers' theater plays about extraordinary American men and women. The plays in the book are designed to enrich classroom learning by building oral literacy, fostering a knowledge of American heritage,…

A 9-month naturalistic study of 16 preschoolers' classroom literacy behaviors and a related study of one student's literacy activities at home examined book-related dramatic play as an important part of the children's literacy interactions. Analyses of instances where play was related to the meanings of the books the children had read indicated…

A classroom study examined a variety of informal drama activities incorporated into a language arts program. During the year, the fourth-grade students engaged in six different drama events as responses to a variety of class read-alouds. Each drama event (pantomime, tableau, town or class meeting, talk show, buddy conversation, and storytelling)…

This book provides easy-to-follow procedures for producing a play in an elementary school classroom. The book discusses choosing a play, casting, coaching, costumes, sets, and props. The process described in the book begins with simple creative dramatics that can be done easily in class, and then moves on to small group activities that continue to…

Gail Carr, a classroom teacher, and Rosalind Flynn, a drama specialist, have found that drama learning strategies can be applicable to many curriculum areas, especially literature. The teacher must take part, according to Carr and Flynn, by maintaining the drama in motion by questioning, challenging, organizing the group's thought, focusing on the…

The result of a collaboration of psychoanalysts and others who met over several years to study the many meanings of play, this book is designed to contribute to the broader field of knowledge about the emotional development and inner resources of children. Written primarily for therapists, educators, and clinicians, it is divided into three major…

This book presents activities designed to enhance components of a healthy self-concept in elementary school children. The first, second, and third chapters contain building blocks for techniques used in creative drama. The first chapter gives plans which establish group cohesion, teach skills needed for future lessons, and give facilitators…

Research indicates that children possess four important personality characteristics and abilities which define them as resilient. These characteristics and abilities are social competence, problem solving skills, autonomy, and a sense of purpose and future. In addition, several qualities of the environment of resilient youth tend to predict…

A practicum project was designed to retrain preschool personnel on the importance of indoor play and on their role during play sessions. Workshops and training sessions were developed to examine the physical environment of the classroom, discuss play theories, and review skills that children can develop during play sessions. Pre- and posttests,…

Research on play and its positive effect on children's development is abundant. Adults can ensure that children receive the full benefits of play by becoming effective playleaders and by guiding children through enriching play experiences. Adults need to let children know that play is an important part of their educational experience. This can be…

Research indicates that active adult involvement in children's play can increase the social level of play and have a beneficial impact on children's cognitive growth. To become appropriately involved in children's play, daycare providers and other adults need to understand how time, space, experiences, and materials affect children in play…