Theatre as a Multiliteracy in the Elementary Classroom
Open Access
- Author:
- Walker, Shannon
- Area of Honors:
- Elementary and Early Childhood Education
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Allison Sterling Henward, Thesis Supervisor
Amy C Crosson, Thesis Honors Advisor
Samuel Jaye Tanner, Faculty Reader - Keywords:
- Theatre
Multiliteracies
Arts Education
elementary
equitable
inclusive
student-centered
learning
theater
21st century literacy - Abstract:
- This inquiry aims to better understand how theatre, when brought into the classroom, can impact students’ learning and offer new ways of teaching that create more inclusive environments, specifically for literacy. I discuss my observations and findings in light of a multiliteracy pedagogical framework to imagine the possibilities for including arts based approaches in traditional literacy curriculum. The multiliteracies framework is an expanded approach to literacy that supports diverse expressions of knowledge and considers the impact of linguistic, visual, audio, spatial, and behavioral communication. Multiliteracies in early childhood education embraces new tools like media, art, and technologies to enrich traditional understandings of reading, writing, and speech. This study is relevant for early childhood practitioners and administrators seeking innovative practices for fostering equitable learning environments for students. While student teaching in first grade, I integrated theatre during instruction and assessment. I collected my findings using teacher field notes, video recordings of classroom lessons, and student work. I describe my students’ interactions with theatre and reflect on the possibilities of reaching multiliteracies through our work. Theatre as a multiliteracy drew on my students’ understanding of behavioral and socio-cultural communication, positioned them as designers of new social possibilities, and tapped into the skills demanded of 21st century literacy. Theatre also created a learning space where students could connect with the material, themselves, and one another more deeply.