Make-believe the Potential of your student

Indian classrooms in general tend to be crowded, if not overcrowded! Many Kindergarten classrooms try to provide a small area devoted for children to play. This play area can be a valuable learning resource for young children. This area can be named "home comer" or "role-play area". If space is an issue, move aside a few desks or the teacher's desk to make room for an hour or two.

Children can use this area to play different roles. A few (as shown in the boxes) situations that could be played include

A. a restaurant
B. a doctor’s clinic
C. a shoe shop

A. A Restaurant


Someone in a hurry who wants something to eat quickly, consults the waiter as to what is available and which food item could be made quickly.
A customer who complains about the food.


B. A Doctor’s Clinic

Ask one child to play a difficult patient who cannot come for an appointment and wishes the receptionist (played by another student) to give her special attention
A worried mother who wants a doctor to visit her ill child.

C. A Shoeshop

A customer who wants special pair of shoes to match a grand dress.
A customer wishing to return a pair of shoes because they don’t fit.

Each of these offers a different set of learning opportunities. The doctor’s clinic would include a reception desk and telephone to encourage discussion, giving clear and simple explanations and providing reasons for actions. Record-keeping and appointment books allow children to practice their writing skills.
Role-play areas do not always have to represent familiar places. Places that take children back in time, such as palaces, give them a sense of the past.

Scenes from fairy tales, folk tales and myths, such as Cinderella’s kitchen or the abode of Shiva and Parvati in the Himalayas or the forest of the Panchatantra tales could extend the children’s speaking and listening skills.

The question of the teacher’s intervention of supervision of the home-corner is tricky. Children tend to be shy and inhibited in the presence of adults. It would be worthwhile to allow them to play on their own for a while. There are times, however, when the teacher can benefit the children’s learning by entering into their imaginary world and joining in their play.

Initially, it may be preferable simply to watch the children playing and to make some comments as you pass by. This will help build up their trust so that they will eventually allow you in their play. When and how to intervene constructively, without the children feeling that you are intruding, takes sensitivity and a watchful eye.

Once you join the children at play and adopt a role within their make-believe world, you can vary opportunities and possible outcomes. Those which arise naturally from the children themselves are particularly effective. Children need to feel some ownership of the story and that their contributions are valued.
Remind the children playing roles to treat themselves with the same respect as in real life situations.

With careful thought, many curriculum areas can be visited as part of the whole project, and the work can lead to much class discussion.

Select a story (popular myths, tales, etc.) and create a role-play area on the theme of the story. Plan the project for over a month. As timetables don’t actually permit these activities, it can be conducted over a period of few weeks. Select one story and fashion the role-play area on its theme.

A demonstration with the following story:
The Wicked King
The Lion eats all other inmates of the forest. The animals want to put a stop to the indiscriminate killing—they offer to take turns sending food/prey to the Lion. The day comes when the Rabbit must supply himself as the Lion’s feed.

The Rabbit hatches a simple but effective plan…

Hopping into the Lion’s den, the Rabbit says that there is another Lion poaching in the forest. The enraged Lion demands to meet the interloper. The Rabbit takes the Lion to a well. Assuming its own reflection to be another predator, the Lion jumps into the well to fight, but drowns.

This fairly popular tale offers a variety of situations for role play and cross-curricular activities. Here are some suggestions for cross-curricular activities linked with creating a role-play area on the theme of Forest Kingdom.
All these exchanges will provide opportunities for:

• Sharing opinions and ideas
• Investigating and reporting events
• Sharing feelings
• Listening to others

Geography
Discuss the physical surroundings: Is there a pond or lake in the forest? Are there human settlements nearby? Discuss the necessity of water for life.
Draw a pictorial map of the forest showing the paths the animals use. Keep it in the Forest-role-play area for consultation.

Art
Paint some portraits of the animals and hang it on the walls.

Also draw trees and hills on charts and hang them on the walls to help create the Forest theme.

Language

Create a copy of a newspaper called The Forest Times. The news items could be topics such as the birth of the baby elephant, weather report, etc.
Suggest some suitable books for the Royal Lion, perhaps reading Gandhi can turn him to the path of Ahimsa? This could lead to a discussion about how well animals can read, i.e., the difference between human beings and animals, etc.
Write a book of forest rhymes.

Maths
Maintain a notebook and measure the growth of the plants, the number of leaves, etc.
A deer family of seven members has sent two young deer as the Lion’s feed, how many remain?

Science
Plant some seeds to grow plants for the role-play area. The children can water them. Use mugs, small pots, etc.
Place some plants on the window sill and some in the shade. Once the children notice the difference in the growth of the plants explain photosynthesis using this.

Drama
Ask children to finalize a list of the animals involved and learn to imitate their calls, movements, postures, etc.

Enact the scene where the Rabbit fools the Lion.

Involve children in roles of different animals making a petition to the arrogant Lion to stop killing them—a passionate argument might develop!
A reporter from The Forest Times investigates the death of the Lion. Stage interviews with the Rabbit and the other animals, requesting their opinion.