Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Advantages Of School Plays For Middle School Kids

By Anita Ortega


Children learn most effectively when teaching includes elements of play and fun in the classroom. And one of the most efficient and profound ways in which to relay knowledge and skills involves using school plays for middle school learners, as well as students at elementary or at higher levels of education. Through active participation, kids become more motivated to study, and absorb more skills and knowledge than simply sitting passively at a desk. Read here about the many benefits of the structured employment of theatrical activities in class, and how these serve kids well beyond the schooling environment.

Children that go through play rehearsals develop and build a set of educational and social skills that cover a variety of areas. Aside from coaching in drama skills, kids also get to develop thinking, creative, and physical ones. Moreover, learning social and interpersonal skills are also being encouraged, with learners receiving feedback from teachers and others in the process.

As a matter of course, kids also improve academic skills through performing theatrical acts. The latter teaches the young ones to learn to focus and concentrate on words, actions and phrases, and to remember these. Aside from enriching vocabulary, these acts also therefore strengthen the memory in a fun and engaging manner. It is little wonder that most kids that perform in dramas at school perform better academically than many learners who do not participate in such activities.

Acting in classroom dramas helps to build confidence. Kids learn how to speak and express themselves with clarity and meaningfully, or else fellow play mates won't understand what's being said. Confident kids tend to perform better academically as well. Naturally, these sorts of actions will have benefits in the wider society as well.

Children also learn about social cooperation, and resolving differences, while acting in a play. Since it requires everyone's input to make it work, kids get the chance to discover what others think, and learn how to accommodate different opinions and views. Being a part of drama activities thus fosters social cooperation.

Young learners also develop empathy, one of the most vital social and interpersonal skills there are. Though the interactions in a play involve relating to fictional characters, the emotions and messages are nevertheless real. These require the willingness and openness to listen to what others are saying and doing, and to respond appropriately.

Many, if not most, careers involve speaking and expressing oneself in private, or in public. Regular play acting in the classroom context helps to prepare learners for future job opportunities in which public speaking especially is a valued attribute. Some of the these include television, politics, the theatre, acting, or teaching.

On a psychological level, being part of a drama group, or taking part in classroom activities that involve regular play acting, there are many tremendous benefits. Shy children have the opportunity to learn self-expression in a fun environment. Kids that don't want to be in the spotlight can play a less central role on stage, by helping to manage lighting and props, for instance. Learning through dramatic activities in class makes education fun, and comes with heaps of other developmental and personal advantages.




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