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Learning Standards Standards

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year pretending becomes the start of acting. Students step into characters, use their voice and body to show feelings, and act out short scenes drawn from stories or their own lives. They also watch classmates perform and talk about what they noticed. By spring, students can take on a simple role in a group scene and explain what their character was doing and why.

  • Pretend play
  • Acting out stories
  • Character and feelings
  • Watching a performance
  • Talking about a play
Source: Maine Maine Learning Results
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. 1

    Pretend play and imagination

    Students step into make-believe worlds and try on different characters. They use their own experiences and stories they already know to spark ideas for play.

  2. 2

    Building stories together

    Students start shaping their pretend play into small scenes with a beginning and an end. They work with classmates to add details and decide what happens next.

  3. 3

    Showing a scene to others

    Students practice using their voice, face, and body to share a character with the class. They learn what it feels like to perform a short piece for an audience.

  4. 4

    Watching and talking about plays

    Students watch scenes and stories and talk about what they noticed. They share what a character might be feeling and what they liked about the work.

Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Kindergarten.
Connecting

  • Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art

    TH:Cn10.k

    Students connect something from their own life to a story or character they act out. A memory, a feeling, or something they've seen at home can shape how they play a role.

  • Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural

    TH:Cn11.k

    Stories and plays come from real places, times, and people. Students connect what happens in a play to their own lives and the world around them.

Creating

  • Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work

    TH:Cr1.k

    Students make up characters and stories through play, deciding what a character looks like, how they move, and what they say. This is where theatre begins.

  • Organize and develop artistic ideas and work

    TH:Cr2.k

    Students choose characters, pretend spaces, and simple story moments, then put them together into a short scene they can act out.

  • Refine and complete artistic work

    TH:Cr3.k

    Students revisit a short scene or character choice and make it better before sharing it with others.

Performing/Presenting/Producing

  • Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation

    TH:Pr4.k

    Students choose which character or story moment to act out and practice showing it to others.

  • Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation

    TH:Pr5.k

    Students practice a short scene or song until they feel ready to show it to an audience. Rehearsing is how performers get comfortable with what they plan to share.

  • Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work

    TH:Pr6.k

    Students act out a character or story for an audience and make choices about voice, movement, and expression so the meaning comes through.

Responding

  • Perceive and analyze artistic work

    TH:Re7.k

    Students watch a short play or puppet show and talk about what they saw and heard. They practice noticing what happens on stage and putting it into words.

  • Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work

    TH:Re8.k

    Students look at a short play or puppet show and say what they think the story is about and how it made them feel.

  • Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work

    TH:Re9.k

    Students look at a short play or performance and say what they liked, what felt confusing, and why. They start to notice that "good" has reasons behind it.

Common Questions
  • What does theatre look like at this age?

    Most of the work happens through pretend play, acting out stories, and using voice and body to show feelings. Students make up characters, try on roles, and tell short stories with their classmates. It looks more like guided make-believe than a polished show.

  • How can I support theatre learning at home?

    Read picture books out loud and act out a favorite scene together. Ask students to show how a character feels with their face and voice, or to make up a different ending. Ten minutes of pretend play counts.

  • Does a child need to perform on a stage?

    No. At this age, performing usually means sharing a short scene or character with classmates in the room. Stage performances are not the goal. Comfort speaking, moving, and pretending in front of others is.

  • How should the year be sequenced?

    Start with simple pretend play and copying actions, then move into building characters from familiar stories. By spring, students can plan a short scene with a partner and share it. Save group sharing and feedback for after students are comfortable with pretend play.

  • What usually needs the most reteaching?

    Two things: staying in a character when classmates are watching, and giving kind, useful comments about a classmate's work. Both take repeated practice with simple sentence starters and short turns. Expect to circle back many times.

  • My child is shy. Is theatre going to be hard?

    Shy students do fine because so much of the work happens in small groups or with a partner, not in front of the whole class. Acting out stories at home with stuffed animals or family members builds confidence in a low-pressure way.

  • How do I know students are ready for first grade?

    By the end of the year, students should pretend to be a character with voice and body, retell a familiar story through acting, and say one thing they liked about a classmate's scene. They should also connect a story to something from their own life.