Mitten Play

Purpose:  Children love to act out stories.  Any dramatic story that they like will do; this is one example (see notes below).  Drama helps children to think about and comprehend stories.  As they act stories out, they learn about the different qualities of characters in a story.   Developing an understanding of stories is important in preparing children for future reading success.

 

Materials/Advance Preparation:

• Obtain a copy of the Mitten Story by Jan Brett or Alvin Tresselt or others based on the Ukrainian folk tale (review of one version + additional suggestions)
• a bed sheet
• masks of each character made out of oaktag or paper plates (optional) and/or a flannel board

 

Directions:

1. Read the Mitten Story. If the children like it, read it again several times (this can take place over time).

2. Help the children to name the characters in the book.  Use the pictures or a flannel board to help.

3. Ask children who would like to try to be one of the characters.  Choose a child for each character in the book (see note below).

4. Slowly read the book or retell the story, encouraging the children to do the telling (don't correct them if they make alterations in sequence, etc.).  Cue the characters as needed.

5. The sheet (bundled up) is the mitten.  As each character climbs into the mitten, help her/him to get under the sheet.  Make sure that their heads are showing!  A child or two can be in charge of tucking the animals into the mitten if you wish.

6. Continue to follow the story.  (Each version of this tale is a little different.)

7. Let the children know that you will act it out again with children trying different roles.

    

Notes: The best version of the story to act out is called The Old Man's Mitten by Yevonne Pollock.  It is difficult to find since it was published as a part of a series by Bookshelf, but it is well worth the effort.  The characters have names like "Munch-Crunch Mouse" and "Hop-Stop Frog" that the children love to say again and again.

So that all children in the group can take part, it is important that this activity be conducted with a small enough group that all the children can be involved.

Providing a dramatic play area with a prop box with a variety of costumes and masks encourages children to act out stories they know -- or to make their own up.  This dramatization and make believe is an important developmental stage for emergent literacy.

 

courtesy of: Eric Gidseg

 

 

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