I've been very curious about how to connect our focus on the arts with a focus on healthy social and emotional development. It's something that happens in other programs too, I'm not saying we're all that revolutionary with it. Still...social emotional development and the arts are things that quickly get swept under the rug when in light of "school readiness" and academic focuses such as literacy, math, etc. (Not that those things are wrong to work at, they just tend to overshadow other important areas of development. Plus we generally teach those traditionally school-ish disciplines in an inappropriate way for young children. Worksheets, for example.)
We started using our tree for puppet shows. Our first few shows I had the volunteer theater student ad lib a little scenario about hitting. We've really been trying to focus on getting the children to solve their problems through expressing themselves in words and negotiating rather than physical aggression. It's a tough one...imagine that. After the show by the volunteer, we let the kids go one at a time and give their own show. It is mostly a regurgitation of what they've just seen. But I think something really important happens with it. If they're making the puppets hit each other and then react to each other, they're able to take on another's perspective--a very important skill. And one of the biggest reason acting, puppets, and well, sociodramatic play (such as playing house) are so, so important for young children.
