Using Puppets for the Comprehension of Story Elements - Literature review Example

Conventional teaching methods are slowly being replaced by more vibrant modalities in the provision of instruction. The use of puppets is an example of the teaching aids that can be employed by a teacher in a classroom to imitate or explain a concept. The use of puppets just like all the visual aids is important in that they make learning more permanent in the minds of the persons being taught. Apart from this, the visual aids make a clarification of the material being learnt so that no different meaning is taken up by the learner. Puppets employ the use of sound and actual imagery that provokes a vignette in the persons that are observing the puppets. The level of engagement between the teacher and student improves steadily with the use of puppets. In comprehension, such level of engagement that will keep the mind of the pupils active is important. Young pupils are known to have a short concentration. In comprehension, the ability to stay on the story line is important in understanding or comprehending the story. Through the use of puppets, the vignette created by both the visuals and the sound creates a more active participation of the students. In a story, complete comprehension requires that the students understand both the mood and the content of the story. In understanding the mood of each character within the story, the general information that the author intends to portray is driven into the minds of the pupils. Through the use of puppets, a teacher is capable of portraying each characters mood at a point within a story and improves the comprehension of the learners. Bisson & Luckner (1996) identify the characteristics of fun as situational, voluntary and relative. It, therefore, implies that any activity that involves fun has an intrinsic motivation in individuals. The use of puppets in learning has the same effect on pupils. In learning comprehension, a relaxed alertness is necessary to follow up the storyline given by the author. Children in a relaxed atmosphere could easily lose concentration and as such the involvement of puppets will create an engaging situation. Fun in learning is a difficult process to maintain as the students progress towards a given age. Parker & Lepper, M. R. (1992) recognize the fact that the use of puppets or any other teaching aid would be an enjoyable experience. In fact, the ability of the students to enjoy a class is also related to their liking of the experiences that they receive. As such the drive towards the lessons is stimulated intrinsically, and the learning process is instigated at a similar level there by making it an effective process. Okan (2003) warns about the use of fun in the education process. It states that the use of puppets of puppets has an impact of introducing a high level of entertainment on the pupils. As such the amount of puppetry infused in the study of comprehension could sway the young pupils minds into entertainment more than learning. Literature review The effects of puppets in a study could be traced back to the impacts of fantasy in early childhood. The most memorable incidences of a person can be attributed to the fun levels achieved in these activities. The impact of childhood memories and the need to shape adult life has been studied by Greenfield & Marks (2010). In their work, they noticed that the childhood memories of fun or psychological trauma can be memorable over a longer period. The ability to remember the experiences of childhood are replicated in the field of education that shapes the effect of the use of visual aid in learning. In general, the use of visual aid is that the students are given a coherent imagery of the situation that they are learning. This imagery is a single conceivable perspective of the subject that is given by the instructor to cater for all the students and aims at illustrating the concept at hand. The ability to remember ordeals in childhood and the efficacy of the process is what informs the use of visual aids. The attempt of the teachers is to create a lasting picture in the minds of the students so as to create a lasting experience. The level of coordination between the experiences of the children and the actual learning experience is a factor in the learning of the students. This implies that a leaner is supposed to localize the learning experience and make it look like it happened in their lives. Antes (2005) agree with the fact that at early stages of learning the ability to grasp a concept is higher as compared to the older ages. As a result, the response of students in the kindergarten level to the teacher would be high. Similarly in terms of the use of a puppet and the ability to remember the concepts taught through the same process would be higher. Spidell(1988) expresses the level of concern on the fact that play and study is important to children under the age of nine years as they attempt to learn. The problem, however, with this study is that too much play can lead to similar problems in learning. It opines that a student should not be allowed to partake of too much fun with the aim of deterring the student from missing the point that had been gained in learning. The study also looks at the belief of teachers about play and the use of puppetry. It opines that a balanced methodology on the same would lead to effectiveness of the process in the learning of the students. The use of puppetry within educational institutions is also extended top the fact that such can be employed in the health of the students. In an attempt to regulate the negative effects of autism of just to deal with the positive health behaviors in children, puppetry is a viable means. The revolutionary importance of the use of teaching aid and the dire need of the same cannot be wished away in the modern classroom. It is important to identify the fact that the availability of teaching aids make the students lean in a more systematic and easy way. In as much as some studies point towards the weakness of the modality in teaching of children, the method still makes valuable the teaching of various subjects. In fact, Bender & Woltmann (1936) is intended for making the use of puppets a problematic subject in the conduction of teaching. The opinions expressed by this literature are that in the use of puppetry brings a level of influence in the psychology of the students that would influence them in the same direction. As such the behaviors that are exhibited by the puppets are likely to be imitated by the students, and this brings a social problem. Puppetry and education is a viable modality especially in the teaching of young individuals. The major advantage of the same relied on the fact that the use of puppetry creates an active, engaging process that encourages comprehension. In the learning of comprehension especially in young children, the attraction of the childrens attention is key. Making the children active in the event of delivering a comprehension is important in the understanding of the text. The instructor should, therefore, toggle between fun and making a learning experience come through for the pupils. Concentration and active participation of the students will aid the process of learning in that the attention of the students is not drawn towards another issue within the classroom. References: Antes, S. (2005). Classroom Observations Through the Eyes of a Puppet. Bender, L., & Woltmann, A. G. (1936). The use of puppet shows as a psychotherapeutic method for behavior problems in children. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 6(3), 341. Bisson, C., & Luckner, J. (1996). Fun in Learning: The Pedagogical Role of Fun in Adventure Education. Perspectives. Journal of Experiential Education, 19(2), 108. Greenfield, E. A., & Marks, N. F. (2010). Identifying experiences of physical and psychological violence in childhood that jeopardize mental health in adulthood. Child abuse & neglect, 34(3), 161-171. Okan, Z. (2003). Edutainment: is learning at risk?. British Journal of Educational Technology, 34(3), 255-264. Parker, L. E., & Lepper, M. R. (1992). Effects of fantasy contexts on childrens learning and motivation: Making learning more fun. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 62(4), 625. Spidell, R. A. (1988). Play in the classroom: a descriptive study of preschool teachers’ beliefs. Early Child Development and Care, 41(1), 153-172. Read More