Why Drama Matters: 20 Ways Plays Benefit Elementary Students

Getting students to work with other students can be a challenge!

They usually have a couple of friends they are comfortable with, but it's awkward when they need to work with someone else. 

Things become less awkward when they work together for a common goal. How can we get them working together while continuing to teach the curriculum?

Starting the day with Morning Meeting, along with Team Building games is a great way to start! However, one of my favorite ways to get children working together is by putting on plays!

Research shows that including dramatics and theater in the learning environment enhances many important life skills. Here are 20 of them!

Students learn new words in context, improving their vocabulary. 

Performing in front of their peers helps students gain confidence and reduce stage fright.

Working together in a play fosters teamwork and collaboration skills.

Students explore their imagination through character development and storytelling.

Students must listen to cues and instruction, honing their listening abilities.

Script reading allows students to practice reading fluently with expression.

Taking on different roles encourages empathy as students see the world through other perspectives.

Understanding the story and characters reinforces comprehension skills.

Acting and reacting on stage improves social interaction and communication.

Memorizing lines and cues enhance memory and recall abilities.

Plays often require creative solutions and quick thinking.

Staying in character and following the story requires focus.

Movement and gestures during dramatics improve coordination.

Many plays introduce students to different cultures and histories.

Speaking in front of others develops clarity and expressive language.

Acting can help students identify, express, and manage emotions.

Plays allow for various roles so all students can participate.

Drama gives students a constructive way to express themselves.

Regular practice helps students speak confidently in front of others.

Plays and dramatics bring excitement and joy to learning, making concepts more engaging.

What to use for resources? Well, I have several Reader’s Theater resources here: Reader's Theater Resources

And I’m working on more! And I’ll be glad to honor your requests! (Just email me at elementarymatters@gmail.com with your ideas!)

Check out these blog posts for more information about dramatics in the classroom and team-building activities:

Dramatics in the Classroom

Using Reader's Theater to Help Children Learn Kindness

Team Builders, Ice Breakers, and Get-to-Know-You Activities

Six Ways to Integrate Team Building Into Your Curriculum!

Build Social Skills and Academics with Morning Meeting

How do you get your students to work together?

Why Encourage Team Building in the Elementary Classroom?

Why should we encourage Teamwork in the Elementary Classroom? 

I've encouraged children to work as a team in my classroom for many years. Although they're not necessarily going to score better on those high-stakes tests, working as a team helps children develop many important skills!

 

Here are some of the skills children learn from team-building activities:

• communication
• collaboration
• listening
• time management
• problem-solving
• putting others first
• conflict management

 
Interesting, some might say these are "life skills!" Yes, these are skills that children need to develop to be successful in life, which I feel is far more important than being successful on tests!

 

These are some activities to encourage teamwork in the classroom:

• morning meeting activities
• shared stories
  
• project-based learning
• STEM or STEAM projects
• put on a class play
• relay races
• team trivia
  
• partner work
  
• plan a class party
• scavenger hunts 
• educational games, played as teams

I'm sure you can think of plenty more, including activities connected to your curriculum! Make sure to mention that the goal is to "work as a team," and "look out for the others!"

 

Most important, motivate them to encourage others! Make sure these words are used often! 

• Good job!
• You can do it!
• Awesome job!
• You are incredible!
• You figured it out!
• You're on the right track!
• You make it look easy!
• That's the way!
• You've got this! 
• I can see you're really trying!

Here's an idea: let them make a list of more encouraging words, and display them for children to use as a reference. Be sure to model using encouraging words for your whole class team!

Here are some helpful resources:

• Back to School Team Building, Ice Breakers, and Get to Know You Activities
• 60 Team Building Games and Activities to Build Classroom Community

Here are some links for more information about Team Building in the classroom:

• Team Building, Ice Breakers, and Get to Know You Activities
  
• Dramatics in the Classroom
  
• Space Balls
  
• Six Ways to Integrate Team Building Into Your Curriculum
  
• Paper Bag Dramatics
  
• Be Prepared for Giggles
  
• Pass the Clap - a Fun Game!
• 25 Alternatives to Handshakes
  
• The Bulgaria Game
  
• Building Social Skills AND Academics with Morning Meeting
  
• Five Team Building Activities for Back to School
  
• Team Building Activities 
• Partner Standing Challenge
  

The Bulgaria Game: A Team Building Game for Imaginative Children

 Brain research tells us that getting students engaged physically will help learning happen!

This game is a great "filler" that will get the kiddos thinking about communication without words.

The game's title only works well if you don't have anyone in your group that speaks Bulgarian. If you do have someone who speaks Bulgarian, you'll have to change the name of the game to some language that no one knows, since the game depends on broken lines of communication.

Here's the scenario: you happen to be traveling through Bulgaria. You need something, so you pull over into a convenience store.

Unfortunately, the people working in the store only speak Bulgarian, which you don't speak. 

Therefore, you have to "act out" what you'll need!

There are a couple of ways to proceed once they know the story:

1. Let individuals think of things to act out.

2. Let groups think of things to act out.

3. Have slips written up with things to act out.

Of course, #3 can be done with individuals or teams.

If you go with #3, you can find ways to use content vocabulary and make it count as academic! 

Yes, it's not very likely that they'll have to pull into a convenience store in Bulgaria for landforms or geometric shapes, but they are usually having so much fun acting out vocabulary words, they don't mind!

 A word of caution: some children are VERY competitive, and try to make it difficult for others to guess their word. Or, they're disappointed if their audience figures it out right away. 

I have to remind them that the goal of the game is to communicate enough information so that their audience understands what they're acting out. If the audience gets it right away, they have communicated successfully!

I know, it's kind of a silly scenario just to get children to act things out, but it's a fun story, and the children enjoy it!

Looking for more team-building games? Try these: 

60 Team Building Games and Activities to Promote Classroom Community

After all, if it motivates the students to engage, it's successful!