Pretending and playing together
Students step into pretend play with friends. They try on roles like a parent, a doctor, or a puppy, and use voices, faces, and bodies to bring those characters to life.
What does a student learn in
This is the year pretending becomes its own kind of learning. Students step into characters during play, using their voices, faces, and bodies to act out stories from books or their own lives. They try out simple scenes with classmates and share what they notice when others perform. By spring, students can take on a role in a short pretend story and talk about what happened in it.
- Pretend play
- Acting out stories
- Using voice and body
- Watching performances
- Sharing ideas
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
- 1
- 2
Making up stories
Students invent little stories from their own lives and imaginations. They decide who is in the story, where it happens, and what props or costumes would help tell it.
- 3
Sharing a short performance
Students practice acting out a short scene or song for classmates. They work on speaking so others can hear and showing feelings through movement.
- 4
Watching and talking about plays
Students watch classmates and short performances, then talk about what they noticed. They share favorite parts, guess how a character felt, and connect the story to their own lives.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Pre-Kindergarten.
Connecting
Connecting
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Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art
Students draw on what they know and what they have lived through to make choices in pretend play and simple performances.
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Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Students connect stories and pretend play to real life by noticing how people live, celebrate, and treat each other in the world around them.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art | Students draw on what they know and what they have lived through to make choices in pretend play and simple performances. | TH:Cn10.pk |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Students connect stories and pretend play to real life by noticing how people live, celebrate, and treat each other in the world around them. | TH:Cn11.pk |
Creating
Creating
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Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students make up characters and stories through pretend play, deciding what a character might say or do.
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Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students act out a simple story or idea, trying different ways to show a character or moment until it feels right.
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Refine and complete artistic work
Students pick a favorite way to act out a story or character and practice it until it feels just right.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work | Students make up characters and stories through pretend play, deciding what a character might say or do. | TH:Cr1.pk |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students act out a simple story or idea, trying different ways to show a character or moment until it feels right. | TH:Cr2.pk |
| Refine and complete artistic work | Students pick a favorite way to act out a story or character and practice it until it feels just right. | TH:Cr3.pk |
Performing/Presenting/Producing
Performing/Presenting/Producing
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Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation
Students choose a character or short scene to act out and practice showing it to others.
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Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice a short performance, trying it more than once to make it better before showing it to others.
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Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work
Students act out a simple story or character and share it with others. The performance itself is the message.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students choose a character or short scene to act out and practice showing it to others. | TH:Pr4.pk |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice a short performance, trying it more than once to make it better before showing it to others. | TH:Pr5.pk |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Students act out a simple story or character and share it with others. The performance itself is the message. | TH:Pr6.pk |
Responding
Responding
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Perceive and analyze artistic work
Students look at a short play or puppet show and talk about what they noticed, like a funny moment or a character's feelings.
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Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students look at a short play or puppet show and say what they think a character feels or wants. It's early practice in noticing why people do what they do.
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Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Students look at a classmate's drawing or performance and say what they liked and why. They start learning that opinions about art can be explained, not just felt.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students look at a short play or puppet show and talk about what they noticed, like a funny moment or a character's feelings. | TH:Re7.pk |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students look at a short play or puppet show and say what they think a character feels or wants. It's early practice in noticing why people do what they do. | TH:Re8.pk |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students look at a classmate's drawing or performance and say what they liked and why. They start learning that opinions about art can be explained, not just felt. | TH:Re9.pk |
Common Questions
What does theatre look like for four-year-olds?
Most of the work is pretend play. Students act out stories, take on characters like a firefighter or a bear, and use voices, faces, and bodies to show feelings. It looks a lot like dress-up and playtime, with a teacher helping shape the story.
How can I support theatre learning at home?
Read picture books together and ask students to act out a favorite part. Pretend to be the characters, use silly voices, and let the story go wherever they take it. Ten minutes of make-believe a few times a week is plenty.
Does my child need to memorize lines or perform on a stage?
No. At this age, theatre is about playing pretend, not putting on a polished show. Students might share a short scene with classmates or family, but there are no scripts to memorize and no real stage required.
How should I sequence drama activities across the year?
Start with simple imitation, like copying animal movements or matching a feeling to a face. Move into short pretend scenes built from familiar stories. By spring, students can invent their own small scenes with a beginning and an end.
What does mastery look like by the end of the year?
Students can take on a pretend role, stay in it for a short scene, and use voice and body to show a character. They can talk a little about what a story or scene meant to them and what they liked about a classmate's work.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Staying in a role for more than a moment is the hardest piece. Listening to a scene partner and responding, rather than talking over them, also takes practice. Short, repeated pretend scenes with clear roles help more than long ones.
What if my child is shy about acting in front of others?
That is common and fine. Pretend play with one parent at home, or with a stuffed animal as the audience, counts. Confidence grows over the year as students get used to being silly in front of people they trust.
How does theatre connect to other learning at this age?
Acting out stories builds vocabulary, listening, and the ability to retell what happened in order. Taking on a character also helps students name feelings and think about how other people might feel, which supports both reading and social skills.