Case study

The children in your 4 year old classroom put on a performance on the subject of children sharing their toys. They created the scenery, props, and costumes, as well as the actors in the performance. Half of the children were actors and the other half were audience members. It was a rich learning experience, and resulted in many conversations about what friends do and how friends share their toys. The next day a mother and father came in and demand that you explain what their child is learning by pretending and putting on a play. They want their child to learn their “A, B, Cs, “days of week, and math, and they do not value what they consider “playing around” in your classroom.

Questions

a. How would you handle the situation with these parents?

b. What specific learning is achieved through drama for young children? Give at least five examples and explain fully.