Over the past five years, various studies and surveys have revealed a global decline in literacy and comprehension rates, with many citing the major disruption of the pandemic.
However, this decline did not begin in 2019, and the pandemic is not the only factor at play.
As we strive to cultivate proficient and engaged readers, the integration of innovative tools and platforms becomes imperative - and these tools offer us a chance to not only rebuild comprehension, but to enhance it through new, multimodal learning strategies.
Skip here to find out how you can use DT+ resources to improve comprehension in your classroom!
Multimodal Learning Strategies
Multimodal strategies encourage learning across four key areas. Based on the examples below, how would you classify your lessons? Do you lean towards any one method?
- Visual: graphs, infographics, cartoons, videos, diagrams.
- Auditory:podcasts, audio books, group discussions and debates.
- Kinesthetic: site visits, multimedia presentations, or hands-on exercises.
- Reading/Writing: text-based resources, ebooks, and written activities.
Studies have made it increasingly clear that this form of teaching benefits students, having a “positive effect on pupils’ literacy development and comprehension”.
More and more, these strategies are also being used in machine learning, and in education, this could see new, augmented reality (AR) classrooms, gamified learning, or even real-time virtual tutors.
And this reliance on technology suits changing trends in how students want to learn, with nearly half of students surveyed for McGraw Hill’s 2021 Trend Report saying that digital learning technology influences the classes they take.
What do you think about the presence of technology in the classroom?
Improve Comprehension with Digital Theatre+
With an emphasis on different types of learning exercises, a multimodal strategy goes hand in hand with the offerings of Digital Theatre+.
Across the platform, you can access productions (including performances, story and poetry recitals, and audio recordings), workshops, lesson plans, study guides, and more.
Take a look at how our free Back-to-School Toolkits prioritize multimodal learning strategies…
Visual Exercises (High School ELA)
With 300+ productions to choose from, DT+ subscribers are never at a loss when it comes to visual learning resources.
If you’re looking to engage your high school students with The Crucible this semester, start by watching a DT+ exclusive educational video, Unlocking Theme: Hysteria in The Crucible (available through your High School ELA Toolkit).
Then, stick four pieces of paper to the wall, each with a theme written at the top:
- Fear & Persecution
- Respect & Reputation
- Secrets & Deceit
- Justice & Religion
In small groups, give students a few minutes to write down as many current events as they can think of that relate to these themes. Each event should be written on a separate Post-it note, and taped to the matching theme on the wall.
At the end of the exercise, give the class a few minutes to read through what others have written down.
You can also keep these sheets up while you continue teaching the play, encouraging your students to add new ideas as they progress through the play.
Cast of The Crucible | Digital Theatre+ | © Johan Persson
Auditory Exercises (Middle School Theatre)
The best auditory exercises rely on reading aloud, listening for (or to) specific sounds or phrases, and repetition. In this Middle School Theatre exercise, you can combine all of the above in a game of Hot Potato!
Designed to enhance comprehension and understanding, have your students stand in a circle with a ball. Each time they pass the ball, they must say something related to the play you’re studying - this could be a character name, a key theme, or a style of acting.
Encourage the class to treat the ball like a ‘hot potato’, passing it as quickly as they can.
And if you’re looking for a way to ‘stretch’ this exercise, you can eliminate anyone who hesitates too long or repeats a word. This way, you can be sure that everyone is actively listening to their peers!
Request your free Back-to-School Toolkit!
Kinesthetic Exercises (High School Theatre)
Theatre class is the perfect place to experiment with kinesthetic learning - why not introduce your high school students to the world of set construction through a collaborative, practical exercise?
Begin the lesson by having each student write down a fantastical place or creature on an index card or post-it note. Then, arrange them into pairs or small groups, and place a variety of props and costumes in the center of the room.
Have each group select one of the notes - they need to work together to creatively construct the set for the location or creature on their card, using each group member to construct the final creation.
Plus! This is a great opportunity to create mixed ability groups to encourage and facilitate collaboration among students with different cognitive and creative abilities.
Reading & Writing Exercises (Middle School ELA)
An alien has just landed on Earth… and he’s a little confused!
It’s time for your middle school ELA students to use their imaginations to ‘decode’ figurative language for their new alien friend.
Have the class read through common metaphors and similes, and write down what they think each phrase means, and why they came up with that answer.
As a fun way to end the exercise, the alien shares some common phrases from his own planet… Can the class figure out what they mean?
These exercises have been adapted from DT+ resources, and are available to download this Back-to-School season! Find your perfect Lesson Toolkit here!
If you are already a DT+ customer, you can access all of these activities and resources now as part of your subscription.