Theater Brings Lessons to Life for Children

Theater Brings Lessons to Life for Children

As parents, we would do anything to protect our children. When they are infants, it feels like their lives are delicate and everything in the world is a threat to their safety. As they grow, our focus shifts from primarily protection to teaching how to become the people we want them to be. This is, of course, the most challenging part of parenting. 

Sometimes, it feels like even with our best efforts, we aren’t sure whether we are communicating well with our children. You might wish there was a way the lessons you are teaching could come alive. The good news is that theater does bring those lessons to life. 

The very same morals and historical truths you are trying to impart are on brilliant display on stage. Not only can your child learn as a spectator, but they can be a participant in the shows that have shaped our culture. 

 

How Does Theater Reinforce Learning?

1. Theater Instills Academic Lessons

One of the most important parts of your child’s life is their education. Mastering academic subjects is an essential part of becoming a well-rounded adult. Did you know theater can help children learn about the subjects they are studying in school? 

Many productions are set in the past and deal with important historical topics. They help present history in a way that is appealing to a young child. When a child participates in theater, they get to travel back in time to the world about which they are studying. A few of the shows that help make history come alive include:

  • Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
  • Fiddler On The Roof by Joseph Stein
  • Oklahoma! by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
  • Newsies by Harvey Fierstein
  • Carousel by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
  • Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

You can reinforce your history by just watching these musicals and others at local theaters or by finding the movie versions that you can watch repeatedly. They present history in a way that is appealing and enchanting for a young child. They will become increasingly aware of the historical relevance of their favorite episodes as they watch and rewatch them.

Theater doesn’t just teach history; it helps communicate moral lessons as well.

  • Plays and musicals demonstrate the effects of good and bad decisions. 
  • Plays and musicals often help us see how to treat people well. 
  • Plays and musicals help children see how one action can affect many people. 
  • Plays and musicals are performed by people displaying incredible courage. 

2. Theater Instills Appreciation for the Arts

There is no way to overstate how much our culture needs the arts. We've witnessed that truth in action more than ever in the last year. When the world came crashing down around us, we all turned to art for solace and hope. Theater will educate students considerably more about the value of art than any class or lecture could.

It’s not just watching plays that help instill morals and reinforce academic lessons and appreciation for the arts, but when children participate in theater, they become the very things we are trying to teach. 

3. Participating in Theater Makes Lessons Come to Life

One of the most common complaints kids have about learning history is that they are so far removed from the past. How much more will students be able to relate to history once they're on stage as historical figures? That is one of the benefits children experience when they participate in theater. 

4. Theater Helps Children Want to Learn

Not only can theater teach your children important historical and moral lessons, but it can also pique their interest in learning.

Participating in theater and the arts, according to UCLA's Dr. James Catterall, lessens a child's risk of dropping out of school. The arts, on the other hand, encourage children to engage in and serve their communities.

5. Theater Can Help Them Become Better People

Some of what theater instills includes:

  • Language Skills: Theater and acting provide opportunities for pupils to develop and master their language skills. Actors must repeatedly practice the same words and phrases until they have mastered the script.
  • Courageousness: Participating in theater is an exercise in courage. Children must be able to overcome their stage-fright and assist their friends and classmates in doing so.
  • Memorization: Whether your child is required to memorize a single line or an entire monologue, committing words and phrases to memory is a beneficial cognitive activity and skill.
  • Emotions: Acting allows children to express a variety of emotions in a safe environment. They may feel and hear what joy, grief, and fury are like in a low-risk, safe environment.
  • Empathy: As your child learns to comprehend how their characters feel, they will undoubtedly have a better understanding of their friends and family.

If your child would benefit from seeing lessons come to life, you can sign them up for one of our theater programs at Asheville Performing Arts Academy. Contact us for more information or to answer any questions you might have. 

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