Supporting young adolescent literacy through drama/theatre arts: Experiences from two teacher-researcher collaborations co-designing for arts integration
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Document Type
Contribution to Book
Book Title
Multidisciplinary perspectives on arts and arts integrated learning for middle level education
Editor(s)
Stephanie Cronenberg
Description
This chapter describes two teacher-researcher collaborations in which the authors co-designed instructional units integrating drama/theater arts into middle level curricula in California public schools. Co-designs proved to be responsive, challenging, equitable, and engaging for students in “traditional” middle level classrooms. Ayesha (5th grade/ages 10–11) integrated drama/theater arts in ELA and history-social science for equitable access to challenging texts. Pairing drama/theater arts practices with short literary and expository texts resulted in reluctant readers’ engagement with texts. Jessica (7th grade/ages 12–13) used drama/theater arts to support students’ literacy skills, particularly text accessibility for multilingual learners. Skills included understanding complex literary and informational texts, analyzing text through embodiment, developing a vocabulary for close reading, and identifying emerging themes. Both teachers followed similar instruction patterns: (1) drama/theater arts practices to scaffold reading (“unpack” texts), (2) whole-class debriefing of activities, and (3) short writings for assessment. Cross-classroom findings indicate increased engagement with and comprehension of subject-specific content, additional opportunities for self-expression and creativity, critical thinking skills development, and potential for added empathy toward others. Arts integration co-designs such as ours might be critical for diverse young adolescents to access the benefits of arts-related instruction (autonomy, subject-matter competence, classroom belonging, and identity).
Buy Link
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003562047-22/supporting-young-adolescent-literacy-drama-theater-arts-sergio-sanchez-ayesha-faust-jessica-jasper
Find in WorldCat
https://search.worldcat.org/title/1538598390
ISBN
978-1003562047
Publication Date
1-1-2025
Publisher
Routledge
City
New York
First Page
271
Last Page
293
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
Sanchez, Sergio L.; Faust, A. M.; and Jasper, Jessica J., "Supporting young adolescent literacy through drama/theatre arts: Experiences from two teacher-researcher collaborations co-designing for arts integration" (2025). Benerd College Faculty Books and Book Chapters. 86.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/ed-facbooks/86
