Ruth's Reflections

Musings with a Manitoba ECE

Tag: Early Childhood Education

Toward a Drama Pedagogy for Infants

July 18, 2020 / / 0 Comments

While this inquiry has been brief (and can in no way be considered exhaustive), I did learn a lot about Theatre for the Very Young, and how I might use it as a basis for developing a drama pedagogy for infants.

Kapstein and Goldstein (2019), and Drury and Fletcher-Watson (2017) discuss the importance of an understanding of child development and developmental psychology when designing theatre experiences for infants and toddlers. This would also be key in designing pedagogy for infants and Toddlers. Mindfulness of the multisensory opportunities with dramatic experiences, as Drury and Fletcher-Watson point out, I expect will have a particularly engaging effect.

Hovik (2019), drawing from several conceptual frameworks, suggests that interactivity, participation and affective attunement, as well as musical communication are effective elements of TVY. These features are easily transferable to classroom encounters and would suit my emerging drama pedagogy.

Quinones, Ridgeway, and Li (2019) advise that the qualities of the space be taken into account when designing a drama pedagogy for toddlers, as well as interacting in a ‘dramatic’ way and infusing the interactions with wonder and inquiry. They also point out that these encounters can be any old moment in childcare, or at least that was my take-away.

So, to sum up, the research informed pedagogical approach to drama education that one might take with infants would look like this:

  • Informed by an understanding of both drama elements and child development (see Kapstein & Goldstein, 2019, Table 1 for a handy chart)
  • Involves multisensory elements to engage children and in recognition of their ways of learning about the world (Drury & Fletcher-Watson, 2017)
  • Is interactive and participatory, recognizing that infants may all participate in different ways, if at all (Fletcher-Watson, 2015; Hovik, 2019)
  • Can happen in ordinary moments, and does not necessarily need to be pre-planed and an extravagant affair (Quinones et al., 2019)

A note about participation: While infant participation, to varying degrees, is an integral element of TVY, drama pedagogy in general, and infant pedagogy, Fletcher-Watson (2015) reminds us to be mindful of power dynamics. He warns that sometimes participatory elements are tokenistic and manipulative rather than genuinely participatory.

Now, here’s a lovely performance of Theatre for the Very Young to wrap up this inquiry. Can you pick out elements that would fit into a drama pedagogy for infants? Which elements may be better suited to remaining in theatrical productions?

References

Drury, R. C., & Fletcher-Watson, B. (2017). The infant audience: The impact and implications of child development research on performing arts practice for the very young. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 15(3), 292–304. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X15614041

Fletcher-Watson, B. (2015). Seen and not heard: Participation as tyranny in Theatre for Early Years. Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, 20(1), 24–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/13569783.2014.953470

Hovik, L. (2019). Becoming small: Concepts and methods of interdisciplinary practice in theatre for early years. Youth Theatre Journal, 33(1), 37–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/08929092.2019.1580647

Kapstein, A., & Goldstein, T. R. (2019). Developing wonder: Teaching theatre for the very young through collaboration with developmental psychology. Youth Theatre Journal, 33(1), 52–69. https://doi.org/10.1080/08929092.2019.1580648

Quinones, G., Ridgway, A., & Li, L. (2019). Developing a drama pedagogy for toddler education. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 17(2), 140–156. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X18823235

Scottish Opera: SensoryO – 2012. (2019, December 22). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Nq6dLA8hyw

Drama in the Little Moments

July 18, 2020 / / 0 Comments

“In developing a drama pedagogy, the educator needs to be aware of creating an inquiry stance for dramatic interaction with toddlers to co-construct the narrative.” (Quinones et al., 2019, p. 15)

Photo by Valentina Pescape on Unsplash

In Developing a Drama Pedagogy for Toddler Education, Quinones, Ridgeway, and Li (2019) posited, with evidence from a case study, three qualities for a drama pedagogy with toddlers:

  1. A space that has dramatic qualities
  2. Dramatic interactions (i.e. educators and toddlers use of expressions, educator’s voice intonation)
  3. Conversational narratives through dialogue commentary, which “includes dialogic explanations that promote questioning and invite co-construction of dramatic action” (Quinones et al., 2019, p. 14)

These elements, they say, foster an inquiry stance in toddlers.

 

In the case study used to illustrate their conclusions, the authors described what to me, looked like a very ordinary moment in everyday early learning and care with very young children – the educator and three children went to look at the pet rabbits and had a conversation. Quinones, Ridgeway, and Li broke down this interaction and illustrated how each of their three qualities of drama pedagogy was present in this moment. The space where the rabbits are kept is a shared lobby of sorts in the childcare centre and with its interesting features (pets) and lighting, the authors asserted these as dramatic qualities. The invitational language, body language and expressions of the educator, and the engagement and response of the children were evidence of dramatic interactions. The dialogue commentary was evidenced by the educator’s inquiring attitude that encouraged the children to build on the narrative (Quinones et al., 2019)

 

While the authors focused on drama with toddlers (no age specified) instead of infants, I feel that their methodology is more closely aligned with infant practice than the vast body of literature on school-aged drama education. Further, it describes hundreds of interactions that already occur in infant and toddler centres. Fait accompli! Well, maybe not. Tune in tomorrow to see how it all ties together.

Reference

Quinones, G., Ridgway, A., & Li, L. (2019). Developing a drama pedagogy for toddler education. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 17(2), 140–156. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X18823235

Participation and Power in Theatre for Infants

July 17, 2020 / / 0 Comments

“As a route away from the often unconscious tyrannies which may accompany adult-led arts projects, it is proposed that participatory power structures can be created which grant agency to child audiences to engage on their own terms. This includes the ability to take control of the theatrical event, to withdraw from participation and to have children’s innate imaginative capabilities recognised as comparable to those of adults.”  (Fletcher-Watson, 2015, p. 24)

Photo by Jelleke Vanooteghem on Unsplash

This quote from Ben Fletcher-Watson’s provocative article, Seen and Not Heard: Participation as Tyranny in Theatre for Early Years (2015), really resonated with me. My primary research interest is examining infants’ experiences of power relations, often between themselves and adults. Fletcher -Watson acknowledges the hegemonic power structures present in children’s theatre when adults don’t explicitly address them. He asserts that “when children’s experiences are curated and determined by adults, participation may resemble manipulation rather than control” (Fletcher-Watson, 2015, p. 24) and that some “may feel unsettled by a tokenistic experience which appears to legitimise the artist’s hegemonic status” (Fletcher-Watson, 2015, p. 24).

 

The author describes adult-curated participatory experiences as reinforcing adult power, rather than empowering children. When the adult chooses the moment to pass an object around the audience, or when to invite the children into the stage area, the adult still has all the power (Fletcher-Watson, 2015). He also asserts that agency is the counterpoint to this tyranny, and proposes a modified version of Arnstein’s (1969) Ladder of Participation tailored for infant audiences of TEY. Intuitively, at the bottom of the list are the lowest forms of participation.

  • Child-led practices:
    • Playing
    • Reinterpreting
    • Co-creating
  • Adult-led practices:
    • Interacting
    • Testing
    • Educating
  • Non-participation:
    • Therapizing
    • Spectating (Fletcher-Watson, 2015, p. 29)

Fortunately for my purposes, the thrust of my inquiry is toward child-led, participatory experiences. My aim is not to produce theatrical performances for infants, but to have the body of TVY/TEY research inform my co-creation of dramatic experiences with infants.

 

References

Arnstein, S. R. (1969). A Ladder Of Citizen Participation. Journal of the American Institute of Planners, 35(4), 216–224. https://doi.org/10.1080/01944366908977225

Fletcher-Watson, B. (2015). Seen and not heard: Participation as tyranny in Theatre for Early Years. Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, 20(1), 24–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/13569783.2014.953470

Why an Understanding of Developmental Psychology may still be useful in TVY

July 16, 2020 / / 0 Comments

While Lise Hovik, whom we discussed yesterday, looked outside of developmental psychology for her conceptual framework, Adrienne Kapstein and Thalia Goldstein solidly based their methodology on bringing both theatre studies and developmental psychology together.  Kapstein, a theatre professor, and Goldstein, a developmental psychology professor, created an interdisciplinary university course called Developing Wonder: Psychology, Theatre, and Children for theatre students at Pace University in New York. They designed this course to both look at TEY/TVY through a developmental lens, and look at developmental psychological research through a theatrical lens (Kapstein & Goldstein, 2019). They examined the various elements present in TEY/TVY productions and paired them with relevant psychology topics. Here are a few examples:

  • Use of multi-sensory elements in storytelling and design – Basic developmental processes in perception, including the structure of habituation and dishabituation to perceptual elements. (Kapstein & Goldstein, 2019, p. 59)
  • Performance experiences that invite engagement and social interaction in multiple directions – Basic development of social interaction and social communication, joint attention. Theories and types of parenting. (Kapstein & Goldstein, 2019, p. 59)

“Most typically developing children do not need to be taught to pay attention to social cues or to turn their heads and move towards things they are interested in. While TVY might capitalize on the ways in which children pay attention to new  stimuli, it is not necessarily teaching children to pay attention to new stimuli, nor should that be a goal of the work” – Kapstein & Goldstein, 2019, p. 56

I think this is relevant because ECEs are more likely to have a background in child development than they are in performing arts. While the aim of early childhood education is not necessarily to teach infants and make them develop  (they’ll do that on their own, thank-you very much), the role of early childhood educators is to provide a nurturing environment and stimulating experiences tailored so that each infant has the opportunity to develop at their own pace. Having a list of elements of TEY/TVY paired with developmental concepts would be a great addition to an ECEs toolbox so that s/he can utilize some of the components in designing environments and programming relevant to each specific group of children.

 

Reference

Kapstein, A., & Goldstein, T. R. (2019). Developing wonder: Teaching theatre for the very young through collaboration with developmental psychology. Youth Theatre Journal, 33(1), 52–69. https://doi.org/10.1080/08929092.2019.1580648

Beyond a Developmental Conceptual Framework

July 15, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Lise Hovik is an important figure in TEY research and, in Becoming Small: Concepts and Methods of Interdisciplinary Practice in Theatre for Early Years (2019), she examined the conceptual underpinnings of her practice as a theatre company artistic director as she created several productions for children aged zero to three. Here is a brief example of a performance of De Røde Skoene, or The Red Shoes. This was one of the productions she created during her PhD work in TEY.

(Hovik, 2017)

In Becoming Small, Hovik (2019) looked to other disciplines to inform her conceptual framework of TEY. The concepts she felt were most relevant are:

  • Presence in play
  • Musical Communication
  • Interactivity and affective attunement
  • Participation
  • Interaction

Hovik specifically looked outside of developmental and psychological lenses to create an alternative view of how TEY can benefit very young children. By drawing from other disciplines, she was able to look at TEY from a broader perspective, and indeed, after producing De Røde Skoene, she created two other productions within the overall Red Shoes Project.

“Early experiences of art, based on direct and sensorial encounters, will in this perspective be just as valuable as later experiences. Children might be even more receptive, and art for young children more valuable, because of their innocent and enquiring minds”. – Hovik, 2019, p. 49

The second production was an interactive, playful art/museum installation with artists improvisationally interacting with the children (aged 0-3), called Red Shoe Missing. The third production, as Hovik’s thinking and conceptual framework evolved, was Mum’s Dancing which she described as “dynamic dramaturgical structure moving between choreographic dance segments and free improvisational segments in which the children could play with red shoes and other installation objects” (Hovik, 2019, p. 43).

The way Hovik’s thinking evolved to include concepts drawn from other disciplines, and the evolution of her practice to include a broader definition of TEY has practice implications for Early Childhood Educators. By integrating elements of improvisation, dance, free play, music and movement, children as young as infants can engage in participatory drama experiences. While Hovik describes theatrical performance, some of these less performative elements can be incorporated in to ECE environments.

 

References

Hovik, L. (2017, January 28). De Røde Skoene—Teater for de aller minste (The Red Shoes). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw9KkLAaL_I

Hovik, L. (2019). Becoming small: Concepts and methods of interdisciplinary practice in theatre for early years. Youth Theatre Journal, 33(1), 37–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/08929092.2019.1580647

Theatre for Early Years and Infant Development

July 14, 2020 / / 0 Comments

“TEY theatre-makers employ practices from a variety of foundations: developmental, aesthetic, educational, pedagogical, musical. For some, the aim of the production is not directly linked to supporting development, instead placing emphasis on creating an engaging, enjoyable, and rich artistic experience. For others, the idea of producing theatre to support specific developmental stages may be the overall goal” (Drury & Fletcher-Watson, 2017, pp. 299–300)

In The infant audience: The impact and implications of child development research on performing arts practice for the very young (Drury & Fletcher-Watson, 2017), the authors describe how research into infant development has supported the emergence and development of the Theatre for the Very Young [TVY] (or Theatre for Early Years) movement. With an understanding of infants’ capabilities and ways of understanding the world, artists can create experiences for infants that are engaging and stimulating, and which capture their natural wonder. The video below is a great example of what TVY can be (Theatre Jacksonville, 2017).

(Theatre Jacksonville, 2017)

Drury and Fletcher-Watson (2017) described throughout their article how infants’ sensory abilities and preferences are different from adults’, and how many TVY performances engage children in multisensory ways. For example, based on research into infants’ olfactory sense (of smell), some companies use scents as part of their production. Another example is that many will also use props that are meant for the young audience to handle, interact with, and perhaps even put in their mouths. This is based on understandings of how children learn about the world, their differences in visual acuity, and the importance of tactile stimulus. Of course, artists would need to take safety and sanitary measures to ensure a safe and pleasurable experience.

Through careful attention to infants’ unique stage of development, artists can design multisensory experiences for young infants to engage their interest, and to support their development.

 

References

Drury, R. C., & Fletcher-Watson, B. (2017). The infant audience: The impact and implications of child development research on performing arts practice for the very young. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 15(3), 292–304. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X15614041

Theatre Jacksonville. (2017, January 28). THEATRE FOR BABIES. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72VCoXgntGI

Theatre for the Very Young

July 13, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Have you ever wondered about drama education with infants? What about theatre performances for infants and toddlers?

I have to say that neither of these questions had crossed my mind until I learned that I was to take a drama education class as a part of my master’s program. This sparked my curiosity and I waited to see how drama education would be approached with children so young.

So far, my thinking as been stretched and I am beginning to see more options for introducing drama to infants and toddlers, but the most interesting revelation came about through a conversation with my professor, Monica Pendergast. The results of which are the subject of my current inquiry, which I will document here. Monica mentioned the theatrical movement called Theatre for the Very Young [TVY], also called Theatre for Early Years [TEY]. Here is a short video describing what it is:

(Stages Theatre Company, 2015)

Over the next several posts, I will review the scholarly literature on this form with the intent of exploring how Early Childhood Educators might integrate some of the concepts and frameworks of TVY/TEY into a their daily practice with infants – not to perform, but to engage with infants in dramatic education.

If you are skeptical of the value of drama education, I recommend a quick internet search, as there is plenty of scholarly research on the subject. Missing, perhaps, is research into the specific benefits for infants, and the practical application of dramatic education with the very young. This blog inquiry aims to begin the process of exploration into these questions.

So, how can we apply the principles an intent of a primarily performative and theatrical art form and rework it into a pedagogical methodology for working directly with infants and toddlers in their early learning and care centres? We shall see over the course of the next week or so. I hope you join me on the journey!

 

References

Stages Theatre Company. (2015, August 5). Theatre for the Very Young at Stages Theatre Company. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANhzfB20LQk

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