Literacy Playshop

The Literacy Playshop approach is a way to incorporate literacy into all aspects of a child's day without having to explicitly sit down and read, stay at a table to write, or retell a story read during class. The playshop aspect of this approach comes from the fact that children are actively engaged in the story that they are depicting. They're bringing in ideas from previous stories and experiences that they've had as well as from pop culture. Being engaged in this kind of story telling allows students to work out issues and problems that may be prevalent in their lives in and outside the classroom. They are critically thinking about their storyline, working on resolving problems, and engaging in media production. 

I never thought that filmmaking could be a form of literacy that children as young as kindergarteners could engage in. However, as I've gotten to know my focal child, I see great potential in the types of stories that she can act out and engage in. Every week I learn something new about her through her play and the way she brings pop culture into her dramatic play such as her eagerness to incorporate others and have a balance in their play. The Frozen franchise has made a big impact in her life and she engages in pretend play, acting out scenes from the movie throughout the day. She writes and draws stories about princesses and speaks of what she does as a princess over the weekend. The pop-cultural aspect has permeated every area of her life. I look forward to creating a movie in which she's the author, director, writer, producer, and actor.