Teaching Third Graders Through Play

SALTILLO, Miss. (WCBI) – Third graders at Saltillo Elmentary have been learning about math, music, and reading comprehension as they performed an impromptu play.

The “Whole Schools Initiative” brought traveling artist Patricia Carreras to the school. She read a story to students called “Anansi and the Moss Covered Rock.”  The African folk tale tells the story of a spider who tricks others to steal food, and never quite learns his lesson.

Teachers hope students learn the value of storytelling.

“The idea of knowing the sequence of a story, perhaps being able to write their own at some point, or recreate their own in another aspect,” Carreras said.

“The lesson in the play is not being so mean, not tricking people because it’s not right to steal, that’s just doing something wrong,” said Third Grader Jackson Smith.

Students also learned how music helps tell a story.  The Whole Schools Initiative is a project of the Mississippi Arts Commission.