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Learning Standards Standards

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year pretending becomes a skill students practice on purpose. Students step into characters, act out simple stories, and use their voices and bodies to show feelings like happy, scared, or surprised. They also watch classmates perform and start sharing what they noticed. By spring, students can play a role in a short make-believe scene and talk about what the story was about.

  • Pretend play
  • Acting out stories
  • Character voices
  • Using your body
  • Watching performances
  • Sharing ideas
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

    Pretending and playing roles

    Students step into make-believe play, trying on characters like animals, family members, or storybook people. Parents may see more dress-up at home and stories acted out during play.

  2. 2

    Making up stories together

    Students invent simple stories with a beginning and an end, often building on a book or a real moment from their day. They start adding voices, movements, and props to bring ideas to life.

  3. 3

    Sharing a short performance

    Students practice a small skit or story to show classmates or family. They learn to face the audience, speak loud enough to be heard, and remember what comes next.

  4. 4

    Watching and talking about plays

    Students watch each other perform and talk about what they liked and what the story meant. They begin to notice how a character feels and why.

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

  • Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art

    TH:Cn10.pk

    Students connect things they know and moments they've lived through to their pretend play and storytelling. A memory, a feeling, or a favorite place can become part of the story they act out.

  • Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural

    TH:Cn11.pk

    Students connect a story, song, or play to something they know from their own life or family. This helps them see that people share experiences through art.

Creating

  • Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work

    TH:Cr1.pk

    Students make up characters and simple stories through play and imagination. This is where the creative side of theatre begins.

  • Organize and develop artistic ideas and work

    TH:Cr2.pk

    Students act out simple stories or ideas through play, choosing what their character does or says. This is where imagination and early storytelling start to take shape.

  • Refine and complete artistic work

    TH:Cr3.pk

    Students pick one idea for a short play or story and work on it until it feels finished, choosing what to keep and what to change.

Performing/Presenting/Producing

  • Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation

    TH:Pr4.pk

    Students pick a character or story to act out and think about how they want to show it. Even at this age, choosing what to perform is part of learning to tell a story.

  • Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation

    TH:Pr5.pk

    Students practice a song, poem, or short scene more than once to make it better before sharing it with others.

  • Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work

    TH:Pr6.pk

    Students act out a character or story so an audience can understand what is happening. Simple choices like voice, movement, or expression carry the meaning.

Responding

  • Perceive and analyze artistic work

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    Students look at a short play or puppet show and share what they notice. They say what happened, how a character acted, or what stood out to them.

  • Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work

    TH:Re8.pk

    Students look at a short play or puppet show and share what they think it means or how it makes them feel. There are no wrong answers, just reasons.

  • Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work

    TH:Re9.pk

    Students look at a play or performance and say what they liked, what stood out, and why. They practice having a reason for their opinion, not just a feeling.

Common Questions
  • What does theatre look like for four-year-olds?

    At this age, theatre is mostly pretend play. Students take on roles like a chef, a dog, or a firefighter, and act out simple stories using their voices, faces, and bodies. There are no scripts or stages. The work happens in dress-up corners, story time, and small group play.

  • How can pretend play at home support what students are learning?

    Join in for a few minutes when students set up a store, a hospital, or a tea party. Ask who they are pretending to be and what happens next. That simple back-and-forth builds the same skills as a classroom drama center.

  • What should students be able to do by the end of the year?

    Most students should be able to take on a pretend role, stay in it for a short stretch, and act out a familiar story with a beginning and end. They should also be able to watch a short performance and say something they noticed or liked.

  • How do students come up with their own ideas for a scene?

    Ideas usually come from books, family life, or things students have seen. A puppet, a hat, or a picture from a story can spark a whole scene. The teacher's job is to ask open questions like what happens next or who else is there.

  • Does a child need to memorize lines or perform on a stage?

    No. Memorized lines and stage performances are not the point at this age. Students are learning to step into a character, use their voice and body to show feelings, and listen to other students in a scene.

  • How can stories from home connect to classroom theatre?

    Share family stories, songs, or traditions with the teacher when possible. Students often act out what they know, so a grandparent's story or a holiday tradition can show up in their play. That connection between home and school deepens the work.

  • How should drama be sequenced across the year?

    Start with simple role play and imitation in the fall, like moving like animals or copying sounds. Move into acting out familiar stories with a clear beginning, middle, and end by midyear. By spring, students can create short scenes in small groups and share them with classmates.

  • What if a child is too shy to act in front of others?

    That is common and fine. Shy students often start by watching, then join in a pair or small group before they are ready for a larger audience. Pretend play with a puppet or stuffed animal at home can help build comfort over time.

  • How do students learn to talk about a performance they watched?

    Start with what they noticed, not whether it was good. Ask what the character was feeling, what surprised them, or what part they remember. Short conversations after a puppet show, a school assembly, or even a cartoon build the habit of paying close attention.