Puppets Part B

This is the second part of a four part Puppets in Preschool Series. The first one can be found here: Puppets Part A

Ways to Use Puppets in the Classroom:

• Have the Puppet read books

• Puppet leads songs and dances

• The puppet can facilitate group time about subjects such as feelings (for a formal curriculum on this, check out the  Second Step Program , which utilizes a Puppy and Snail puppet as well as posters, songs, and stories all about feelings)

• The puppet helps gauge where a group is on a subject: i.e. The puppet counts but forgets a number, does the group of children know the puppet forgot? Can they correct the puppet? Also good for use with the alphabet.

• The puppet can help teach concepts such as counting or sorting.

• The puppet can teach about diversity. The puppet can facilitate the discussion of what is the ‘same’ and ‘different’ about traditions. (i.e. a lot of traditions center around food, but the food differs from family to family and culture to culture) The puppet can also talk about race with children by pointing out/asking about what is the same/different (we all have eyes, noses, hands, etc. But some people have brown eyes, some have blue eyes, some are white, black, Asian, etc. Even though there are differences there are far more similarities, etc.)

•  ETC ETC ETC: Basically the puppet can do anything in a classroom. If there is a subject you are less comfortable teaching or discussing, have the puppet do it, if the children are having a hard time with a concept, the puppet can help, etc.

For those of you who use the Creative Curriculum/ Teaching Strategies Gold, the next puppet post will be a list of the Objectives that can be reached through the use of puppets in the classroom.

After that, Puppet ideas to make ( a photo filled post!)

Puppets Part A

While I was at the Child Development Center here, I was asked to do some research on using puppets in the Preschool classroom for an upcoming training session to be presented by the trainer there.

Here are some of the things I found out:

•  Puppets are Multisensory: they allow children to learn through watching, hearing, and feeling/manipulation. This is great for different types of learners in your classroom. (You know those wiggle bugs? They’re kinesthetic learners, they need to move in order to absorb information.)

•  Puppets provide children with an opportunity to have their voice heard. Those who don’t often speak up in class may have very vocal puppets, a puppet can create a safe barrier for them. A child can use the puppet as a way to soften rejection, voice opinions they otherwise worry may be ridiculed, or release emotions that they have been taught are ‘inappropriate’.

•  Puppets enhance socio-dramatic play (pretend play, like ‘house’) and imagination.

• They can help children make connections with other children. The back and forth of discussion with a puppet may feel more safe for a child than that of child to child, or child to adult, interaction.

•  Puppets can help develop conversation skills such as voice modulation and taking turns listening and speaking.

•  Dependent on the type of puppet, it can help fine or gross motor skill development.

So there’s a brief shake-down of why puppets are good in a classroom.

Coming soon: Ideas on how to use puppets in the classroom. And, some puppet ideas to make!

Sources:
Facts: Puppets in Preschool
Role of Puppets in Education