Can Acting Classes Improve School Performance?
When you're looking for after-school or extracurricular activities for your child, you probably think of all the usual options like clubs, sports, and music lessons. But have you ever considered acting classes? Many parents who aren't interested in getting their children into professional acting don't consider acting classes as an extracurricular option, but it can have real benefits for your child, especially in school. Take a look at some of the ways that acting classes can improve your child's school performance.
Public Speaking Skills
The ability to speak in front of a crowd with confidence is not just a skill for adults. Even young children are expected to stand in front of the classroom and speak, answer questions, or read reports. For some children this comes naturally, but others struggle with problems like stage fright or speech issues.
Acting classes address both of those problems. They can give children the confidence and tools they need to overcome stage fright. Acting coaches can also help children learn to enunciate and make their voices heard, even at the back of the classroom. And even if your child is naturally comfortable in front of the crowd, acting lessons can help them build on their existing abilities so that they can deliver classroom presentations with flair.
Active Learning
Not everyone learns the same way, and it's not always easy to learn while sitting behind a desk, especially for children. Acting provides the opportunity for children to use a more active method of learning to absorb information.
For example, acting out a period drama can help historical details stick in your child's mind. The same details might be quickly forgotten when your child simply reads them in a history book. Working with scripts and cue cards can help reinforce reading skills and grammar skills. Plus, the imagination required to get into character can inspire your child's imagination, helping them excel in creative tasks, like writing stories or creating artwork.
Collaboration
Group work has become much more important in the classroom than it used to be. Children are often divided into smaller groups to work on projects or even regular daily class work. The ability to work well in a team can definitely help improve your child's performance in school.
Learning how to pull together a dramatic project can be an excellent lesson in the importance of teamwork. Even when an actor is performing a solo piece, success requires the work of many people, from the person who will be on the stage to the set designers and costume teams. Group pieces, like plays, require even more teamwork. Everyone has an important role, from the lead actor to the understudies and stage hands — the show couldn't go on without all of them. Acting classes give your child the chance to take on different roles and learn to be a team player in all of them.
Acting classes are also a lot of fun for your child! If acting hasn't been on your extracurricular radar before, it should be now. Take the time to look into acting studios in your area and find out if there are classes that are right for your student.
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