|
Due to its simple rules and flexibility, dramatic improvisation allows educators to practice guided play with children. According to an article by Jocelyn Greene in Edutopia, guided play refers to learning experiences that “combine the child’s directed nature of free play with a focus on learning outcomes and adult mentorship.” Children not only experience pleasure through play, but also community and autonomy. The scaffolding of theater games is the perfect way to support both children and educators.
Greene suggests that children’s imaginations can benefit from being partnered with real-world scenarios. She suggests making sure there are specific learning objectives when creating activities, while offering elements of free choice in games. Educators should be flexible by using open-ended questions. She offers three ways to use improvisational exercises as guided play:
- Pet Vet: Your classroom becomes a veterinarian’s office. Children become talking creatures with specific ailments and tell the back story of how their ailment came to be. The educator should act as the vet, and with the help of a group of assistants, work to find a solution to the ailment. Children should be encouraged to use words having to do with a field of study, such as habitat or food.
- Silly Shop: In this activity, children are experts about the functions of random items; this helps them expand their vocabulary and mental flexibility. The educator pretends to be a confused store owner with items for sale (they can be items in the classroom, household objects, or anything relevant to what children are studying). They misname the items and sell them to children for incorrect uses. Children will have to correct the educator and explain the proper uses. “Flipping the script and teaching you-even in a pretend scenario-is invigorating for the students,” says Greene.
- Magic Elevator: Children will go on different adventures with the use of a magic elevator. They enter it (a square marked out on the floor) and travel to different floors with places like outer space or settings in a book. Greene suggests having a dramatic task to accomplish on each floor (like transforming from a caterpillar to a butterfly). Educators might even play music to set the tone and use timers to set limits on each floor.
Educators should rely on very few props for the activities; instead, they should rely on the imaginations of children. All games should have a clear beginning and ending so that children can practice taking turns. Educators should also encourage group work as much as possible. “Improvisation games give educators a template by which to use guided play to elevate their students’ learning and have fun alongside them,” says Greene. Children remember information better and simultaneously have fun when their imaginations are involved.
Click here to read more about improvisation exercises and guided play.
| 
