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Why Is The Theatre Method Of Teaching Special Kids Stealing The Limelight?

30th June 2022

Students with special needs require special attention for their personal and professional development. Special education courses for teachers have stated that creative methods of teaching specially-abled students are always more effective than the normal traditional format of education. Thus, adaptations for special needs in the classroom are including enormous constructive ideas to help the gifted to excel in academics as well as on non-academic grounds.
 

Theatre in special education?

Special education teachers are installing theatre into special education teaching. It is scientifically proven that the benefits of acting and the benefits of theatre in education for special needs are incredible.

21st-century global classrooms are encouraging this specific teaching methodology because it provides fantastic opportunities in terms of:
 

• They are learning to stretch and grow.
• Gifted kids not only learn speaking within larger groups but expand life-enhancing skill sets as well.
• Socio-emotional learning of kids is getting enhanced.
• This method is a brilliant version of role-playing where kids are learning to communicate and interact more.
• Their problem-solving and critical thinking abilities are also improving.
• Kids who face challenges with fine motor skills are learning to overcome their hindrances.

These are the major benefits of theatre acting in an inclusive classroom but apart from these, there are various other factors that are helping special kids to improve themselves. Many schools are using assistive technology along with this theatre practicing method to provide better help to students with special needs.

Performing arts in a theatre have three tenets: Dancing, Singing, and Acting.

Dancing: It is one of the most efficient methods of exercise and helps everyone to remain fit. Special education teachers should encourage students having challenges with their motor skills to participate in dancing. Introverted students who may be hesitant to get along with the common mass often embrace dancing as a different character like a bird, a deer, etc.

Singing: Singing provides an awesome chance for students who have problems with speech. For example, there are many special kids who do not want to speak loudly and have problems with finishing a sentence. Teachers will have to motivate them to participate so that their stage fear starts reducing. Unless they speak loudly, the audience won’t be able to hear them. Therefore, they’ll eventually start singing in a louder voice in front of the audience and consequently, they’ll be able to speak clearer and louder.

Acting: If we talk about recreational therapy, acting is the best form of it. Acting involves a lot of teamwork and communication skills. It helps students to create positive body language and through acting, they can learn various social skills. Making eye contact, speaking loudly and clearly, interacting with others on stage, and waiting for the other person to finish talking before the other’s dialogue comes up.  These essential life skills are presented within the immersion of fun and challenging experience.

However, there are certain myths that are related to incorporating theatres into special education classrooms or inclusive classrooms.
 

• Teaching theater to people who are “non-verbal” is a waste of time
• The theatre is not meant for people with limited mobility.
• Without a background in theatre, it is impossible to teach it to students.
• Planning to incorporate theatre into the classroom is absolutely time-consuming.
• The Arts, specifical theatre, are not at all beneficial.

Acting is beyond that delivering predetermined dialogues and it includes lots of facial expressions and movement. Using American Sign Language (ASL), acted-out narration, a tablet (connected to the sound system), holding up posters, or doing a gesture helps non-verbal kids to a great extent. The way students communicate in their everyday life, they can communicate that way on stage as well!

We can assure you that you can rule out point number 2 once you come across it. There are plenty of specially-abled students with limited mobility who have performed on international platforms as well. Scripts are prepared in such a way that fits the mobility level of special students. Students with limited mobility can move with assistance when needed, dance with arms only, or try acting out facial expressions that go along with the music.

Another vague statement that people often use depicts the types of thought processes they possess. People who are big fans of arts can always turn anything into art and hence, it is not at all necessary for special teachers to have a theatre background in order to practice theatre sessions in the classrooms.

Special education courses for teachers equip special educators with amazing qualities and one such example is time management. Therefore, special educators are experts in lesson planning and they do not require a huge time to plan and incorporate theatre into the classroom. Thus, you can effortlessly overrule this fourth myth as well.

Art has never returned anyone empty-handed. People have either found out the meaning of their lives through the art or might have realized in what direction their lives are marching ahead. The contribution of art in our lives is impeccable and it has helped specially-abled students to improve themselves and strengthen their hidden talents like never before!

In order to make your special classroom full of influential theatrical scenes so as to help special kids, follow these tips:

Identifying the unique requirements of kids because not everyone is having the same special talent. Special education teachers must have crystal clear communication with parents so as to have exact knowledge of how those kids behave at home. The more information a special educator has ahead of time, the better prepared she/he is to help students to succeed.

The way a teacher speaks inside a classroom is quite impactful in the lives of special students. Special educators are requested to avoid using any sort of words or phrases having a negative tone. For example, using words like SHE SUFFERS FROM AUTISM’ creates a pessimistic ambiance and that particular student can feel insecure about her gift. Instead, a teacher must say that ‘SHE IS HAVING AUTISM’.

Special education teachers must be aware of certain things that specially-abled students need to perform better overall. Some may require assistive technology so that they can hear or speak better. Students with learning disabilities require extra special attention before they’re participating in the theatre.

To end with:

With the help of special education courses for teachers, special educators can bring excellent ideas to the table to help specially-abled kids to grow better. Besides, incorporating theatre into classrooms will help them to become more active and in doing so, it has been seen, that many hidden talents come out. Kids begin to understand their values and they feel confident enough to perform any activity without hesitation.

To know more about it, call our toll-free number 1800-212-6400.