CREATIVE DRAMATICS FOR DISTRICT 75

This residency introduces all levels of District 75 students to fun, theatrical tools of self-expression, group cooperation and dramatic play. Experienced Teaching Artists (TAs) adapt creative material according to the physical and cognitive functioning levels of each class.  Teachers and para-professionals work together in partnership with TAs, assisting and guiding students when necessary.

Classes learn appropriate methods of self-expression and cooperative skills through dramatic play and shared-learning, group experiences. Gross and fine motor skills, range-of-motion, response to speech and auditory cues, and other skills drawn from student IEPs are all built as kinesthetic awareness is enhanced through the residency. Students explore healthy boundaries, sensory recognition and acting out of basic emotions as they interact in structured games and exercises. Favorite characters and situations from books or audio/visual material come to life while learning different uses of basic props and costume pieces. Eye-hand coordination is enhanced through games and activities.

This program fosters the student’s self-esteem and builds the skills of vocal projection, speech articulation, and physical expression. Individual students gain greater self-confidence by “performing” for each other; they experience viscerally how dramatic expression can be an effective means of communication to others. Students also learn to respond appropriately to other classmates’ work, according to individual  functioning abilities- whether it be a thumbs up, a picture symbol, an impression of what they’ve seen or giving a helpful suggestion – all vital developmental skills.

If administrators, TAs and teachers feel that students  would benefit from a presentational experience, some residencies (with higher functioning students) may culminate with an informal, shared performance, or a participatory parent/child workshop. Lower functioning students experience theater arts through a variety of multi-sensory activities solely within the smaller, more familiar classroom setting.

Students of all levels of physical, emotional, and developmental ability explore healthy boundaries, sensory recognition, response to speech and auditory cues, and acting out of basic emotions as they interact in structured, theatrical games and exercises.