This study surveyed 98 teachers of 4-year-olds about dramatic play in their classrooms and about their attitudes and practices about rough-and-tumble play. Gender differences emerged in the nature of dramatic play reported and in the ways in which teachers interacted with children engaged in different forms of dramatic play. Teachers also reported…

What kind of environmental and administrative factors support the balance between child-centred and teacher-directed practices in the early childhood classroom? What specific aspects of children's development are nurtured by this pedagogy? These and other pedagogical issues are addressed in this article as it describes how a particular curriculum…

In the current age of academic rigor, standards and accountability, the fostering of caring relationships in the classroom may not always be a priority. Expressing care for another person is a skill that can be taught and nurtured through a supportive educational environment. Sociodrama encourages each of its participants to develop…

Intended to help elementary school teachers find new and more varied ways of using drama--both for its own intrinsic value and as a school-wide teaching strategy--this publication examines the place of drama in the kindergarten through grade six curriculum. Following a rationale, the publication provides guidelines for planning a drama program and…

Role-playing in nutrition has many advantages as an educational technique, including building thoughts, facilitating flexible thinking, promoting awareness, and providing opportunities for practicing food-related behavior. The Curry and Arnaud model for role play is presented in terms of its components and how each component relates to nutrition…

In order to influence motivation and children's creativity, some attractive methods were introduced into the classical contents of the usual program of material (Serbocroatian) language and literature and other subjects in the curriculum planned for the third grade. Work on a tale was carried out in an atmosphere of slightly transformed space in…

Various techniques are described for which a teacher might use dramatics in a classroom situation. Questions which might be asked by the classroom teacher include: purpose and use of drama in the classroom; development of skills; classroom space problems; and time. (JN)

Because they are such effective teaching resources, puppets are an economical and exciting resource for increasing numbers of teachers involved in courses on death education. Puppets help students overcome emotional problems, and, since death is a traumatic area to explore, they provide opportunities to work through social situations not yet…

Examined the influence of curriculum preparation on children's content knowledge of dramatic play centers' themes, dramatic play behavior, and theme-relevant conversation during play. Found that theme familiarity may have been a critical factor. Posttest content knowledge was positively related to frequency of dramatic play. Teacher effects on…

Describes and provides a list of materials for sensorimotor, symbolic, and construction play. Benefits of arranging the playground with a variety of materials are also discussed. (AS)

Describes the development and implementation of a health promotion curriculum for four- and five-year-old children in a preschool class. The curriculum emphasized the use of the visual arts, drama, and music as learning strategies for health promotion. (BB)

In this interview with a Florida kindergarten teacher, the whole language philosophy is used to help elementary students learn skills through ongoing reading and writing activities. Thematic units are used to encourage teacher facilitation and peer teaching. (DG)

Presents five articles on using creative dramatics in early childhood education: (1) "Drama: A Rehearsal for Life" (Julia Gabriel); (2) "Fairy Tales Enhance Imagination and Creative Thinking" (Olga Sidlovskaya); (3) "Starting with a Story" (Ruth Stotter); (4) "Using Creative Dramatics to Include All…

This publication is part of a series of monographs on the art of teaching. Each volume, focusing on a specific discipline, explores theory in the context of teaching strategies connected to evaluation of both teachers' and students' learning. Three techniques are offered for using the series: dialogues (as self-evaluation and in study groups),…

Emphasizes the educational benefits derived from research in dramatics arts. Cites research indicating that role playing has a positive effect on oral language, moral reasoning, and self-esteem. Points out that teachers and administrators do not include dramatic instruction in their curriculum, and offers ways to make dramatic arts more appealing.…