‘He is merely his wife’s Puppet!’
A phrase that you might have heard many a gentleman utter, when talking about their friend. A person they believe is a henpecked husband!
Tell that to a child, however, and they might roll their eyes in fascination. After all, ‘Being a Puppet’ is pretty cool, in the eyes of children.
No wonder one of the longest running children’s shows on television, Sesame Street, is full of Puppets!
It’s true, the ‘connection’ a child can experience with a puppet, is beyond the ordinary. When a puppet talks, children really ‘listen.’
Did you know, the history of Puppetry dates back to 3000 years? That does not imply that Puppet Play is any less relevant in today’s day and age. Moreover, Puppetry can be used to aid in the process of Early Learning, all because of its Versatility and Simplicity.
This article is an attempt to explore the world of Puppet Play. As you read, you will be introduced to the Importance of Puppetry for Preschoolers. This includes the fine tuning of their Speaking Skills, and a lot more.
Are you looking to improve English Speaking Skills in your child?
Don’t worry, it’s ‘Puppet’s Play!’
Puppet Play: The Importance of Puppetry for Preschoolers in Learning English
Before we discover how to channel Puppetry to assist your child in learning English, let’s explore the many Benefits of that endearing activity called Puppet Play!
A Boost to Communication
Speaking English is all about Communication, really! Witnessing Puppet Play encourages your child to take a puppet of their very own, and ‘communicate’ with other children.
Note: Puppetry can help a shy kid break out of the ‘shell’ they find themselves ensconced in. For instance, when they play the mighty Lion King!A Joy in Learning New Words
Learning becomes fun, when it is associated with a thing of Joy!
When they play with puppets, children are filled with a sense of Wonder and Happiness. They don’t find the new words that they need to use during Puppet Play, as something of a Challenge. Instead, they embrace them with a sense of Joy, thus learning them more effectively.
It covers all the Components of ‘Learning A Language’
Puppetry takes children through all the vital steps that are necessary in learning language of any kind. They are the following:
- Motor Control
- Visual Discrimination
- Auditory Discrimination
It makes for a sense of comfort
Everything is better, when it is made easier. Like, learning the English language via the use of Puppetry!
Puppet Play is a great way to improve English speaking skills for children, because it lets them be free to ‘hesitate’ when using a new word, or even saying it improperly. It frees them from the harsh axe of Judgement. After all, it is the ‘Puppet’ that is making the mistakes, not them!
Puppet Play: Using Puppets to hone English Speaking Skills in Preschoolers (h3)
The moment you have been waiting for, has arrived!
Time to see how we can use Puppets to facilitate the learning of English.
Make the Puppet a Student!
Sometimes, being a Teacher helps you become the best Student!
To do: Stand in front of your child. Tell them that they are the Teacher and the Puppet you hold, the Student. They have to ask a question in English, that must be answered by the puppet. That means You, of course, providing the answer in English!
The Power of Storytelling
What better way to learn the English language, through telling some wonderful Stories?
To do: Give your little one a puppet, and tell them that they have to tell you
their story. For instance, you might hand them a puppet with a clown face, and encourage them to tell them the story of why they joined the Circus.
Note: Telling stories will not only boost their English-speaking skills, but also work wonders in honing their Imagination and Creativity.
Using Humour to Teach Grammar
Grammar is perhaps the most tedious part about learning the English language. The good news is, it need not be.
To do: You can use Puppetry to bring some light-hearted fun to the learning of Grammar. You can do this, by having your puppet explain to your child’s puppet in a comical manner, how they are ‘grammatically wrong.’ When you do this, not only will your child squeal with delight, they will also get an invaluable lesson in Grammar!
Using Wordplay with Poetry
Move over Grammar, Poetry is here!
To do: Introduce your children to the joy of Poetry. Whether they read out already existing poems or poems of their own, they will have a blast with all that Word Play they indulge in. Moreover, they won’t have to pay attention to all that ‘Grammar’ and ‘Syntax’ for a while, and that will come across as a refreshing change for them.
Sing Along with Puppets
Wy get puppets to Speak, when you can get them to Sing?
To do: Singing English songs and even Nursery Rhymes, can be a great way to get children to learn the ropes of the English language. Even children who are not very confident, will find it easier to express themselves, by making their puppets sing.
Embracing Mistakes
Children have to learn, that it’s perfectly all right for them to make mistakes.
To do: Through Puppet Play, you can help children see that making mistakes is not really a bad thing. In fact, using a Puppet makes it all the more comfortable to make those mistakes. As we have seen in an earlier point, the child will become the puppet’s teacher, and encourage them to rectify their mistakes so they don’t happen again.
At EuroKids, we believe in the power of Puppetry to teach English to kids in a way that is both Unique and Effective. Puppets allow children to use them as their Mouthpieces, thus encouraging Communication in even the most reticent children. Puppetry is indeed the most Fun way for children to master their English speaking skills.
