Sustaining attention and successfully engaging with others in collaborative play are important accomplishments focused on in preschool classrooms and childcarecenters. In addition, music is frequently used in early childhood classrooms, and even recommended as an environmental feature to motivate and regulate children's behavior. Although pretend…

This article is about the production of The House of Bernarda Alba in Her Majesty's Prison Holloway in London England. It is written from a personal perspective and focuses on the following topics, collaboration, a brief comparison of prison life in the US and the UK, the successful and unsuccessful experiences of participants, and their insights…

This study investigates the perceptions and practices of early childhood practitioners in relation to the development of thinking in children aged 3-5 years. Five practitioners working in nursery and reception classes in England were interviewed, and sessions were observed in each setting, including discussions with the children. The results…

In this article, the authors help teachers see below the surface so that play can be used to help children's learning and communication. A closer and deeper look at play can reveal children's learning of concept development, communication, budding social relationships, and very specific literacy skills. The authors state, that viewing play not…

This report, in both English and Spanish versions, aims to highlight the Bernard van Leer Foundation's identity, objectives, and major activities, as well as the work undertaken by the projects the foundation supports. The review features articles on the Foundation's work on advocacy, supporting families living in disadvantaged circumstances,…

Playing in literacy-enriched, sociodramatic play centers is an important component of children's literacy development; yet due to the limited number of available computers in many low-socioeconomic-status urban schools, occasions for children to playfully explore literacy as it relates to technology are frequently absent in the early childhood…

This study investigated the use of arts games (structured play activities based on drama, movement, and music) with children age birth to 5 years in a day care setting. A set of 20 games was tested by 2 early childhood teachers; 1 teacher tested 10 games with a group of 2-year-olds and the other tested a different set of 10 games with a group of…

This paper describes two projects analyzing forms of appearance and the characteristics of symbolic play, that is, spontaneous play free from adult intervention. The paper highlights some characteristics and theoretical orientations and discusses preliminary findings. The theoretical framework includes using evolutive cognitive and…

Offering a step-by-step guide to the planning and implementation of dramatic play in the elementary classroom, this book shows how the art of dramatic playing can be used as a process for integrating learning across the curriculum. The first section of the book, Playing Dramatically, discusses integrating learning and drama, areas of learning…

The guide contains original and innovative ways to use literature in the second language classroom. The lesson ideas, contributed by teachers, are intended for varied age levels, from young children to graduate students, and come from teachers in all parts of the world. The ideas are divided into four chapters: "Prose"; "Poetry"; "Drama"; and…

A first-grade teacher's classroom investigations support earlier research findings that when dramatic play is presented in a thematic context and related literacy props are provided, the children will use literacy behavior as part of their play. The teacher's research also indicated that adult intervention, guidance, and modeling of literacy…

A study investigated the effect of drama-based instruction on the learning of social skills by student labeled as "low ability" in a 10th-grade required English class in a rural high school. Two separate classes of "low ability" 10th-grade English students in Janesville, Wisconsin, were presented with social skills training…

A case study explored the implications for secondary school acting students in developing character in a role when the theater teacher assumes the role of actor in a student production. Two of Albuquerque, New Mexico's 11 public high schools co-produced "Romeo and Juliet." Pre- and posttests of student perceptions of acting and character…

The use of poetry as drama in the English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom enables students to explore the linguistic and conceptual aspects of the written text without concentrating on the mechanics of language. Students are able to develop a sense of awareness of self in the target culture through dramatic interpretations of the poems.…

A proven, successful adult basic literacy improvisation theater project was expanded through development of videotapes. Because rural Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, consists solely of a number of small towns, traveling great distances to do presentations made outreach difficult. Project staff conducted the following activities: purchased a…