arosales

As Education Manager of 15 Preschool Classrooms, I encourage my teachers to implement the interest topics of our students. Superhero topics, being one of their interests, are welcomed under several conditions: In order for the Superhero play to be educational, I ask my teachers to follow a Story Sense Protocol. This protocol includes: Characters, Settings, Problems, and Solutions. First, preschool children need guidance during Superhero play in order to understand the ‘characters’ (Superheros) at play. This means knowing the names, the purposes and any other attributes that make the Superheros special. Second, teachers should focus on the hypothetical ‘settings’ in which these characters (Children) will be playing. Usually the settings will include locations that children have visited; Homes, parks, forests, cities, toy stores, etc… The intention is for teachers to help children visualize these settings, to the point where the students can describe and elaborate the surrounding environments at play. Lastly, once the characters and the settings have been established, problems should be integrated in the play so that all of the members of the Superhero team can work collaborately on finding non-violent solutions to the problems. Teachers can provide simple or complex problems related to real life situations, thereby teaching and instilling real hero problems and solutions, while allowing children to be their favorite Superheros.