Author: Megan  E.  Rounds

Major: Communication Sciences and Disorders

Graduation Year: 2016

Thesis Advisor: Margo Brown

Description of Publication: This study assessed the effects of implementing a puppet-centered curriculum into the dramatic play area of a university’s child study and research preschool. The curriculum included a child-centered, instructional conversation based program in which 12 children discovered the puppets through their own creativity and experimentation. These children were observed three times, once each in October, November, and December. Between the observations, children viewed puppet shows performed by their classroom teachers and visited a theater on campus to view a puppet show performed by students from the School of Performing Arts. Observations were assessed using the Preschool through Third Grade Omnibus Guidelines, with a focus on the overall development and progression of the average language and literacy skills of the classroom. The analysis shows that children progressed from performing at Preschool-3 levels to performing at Preschool-4 levels and beyond in just three months. This result shows the importance of a dramatic play area as well as the benefits of using puppets to encourage a child’s vocabulary and story-telling abilities.

Location of Publication:

• fogler
• reynolds

URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/426