I am continually convinced that incorporating the arts into instruction "adds essential missing ingredients to the literacy curriculum," as Cornett states. My shift to include story-acting in every meeting with my k-1 group of English Language Learners (ELLs) has expanded their ability to show deep understanding of the literature we read, my ability to assess this understanding, and better informs me on how to focus proceeding instruction. Acting out stories allows students to emotionally connect with literature, increasing comprehension and their repertoire of socio-emotional experiences. It is therefore no surprise that the longitudinal study cited by Cornett found " a strong correlation… between the arts and better test scores." Additionally, my work and research with drama, music, and art therapy reveals the 'safety'people feel in exploring content through 'performance'.
Images 1 and 2: An arts-education workshop at Brown University, led by Patricia Sobral (of Brown U.) and two other educators, in 2007.
Image 3: A workshop in Northeast Brazil that I led in 2010, about using theater techniques to interpret literature.
Image 4: A performance by students from Rozz Nash's dance program in Williamsburg, Brooklyn - exploring personal narratives through dance.
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