Puppets in the Library Puppets as a teaching tool For many children, true learning occurs only when the child becomes actively engaged in the learning experience. Though the child may enjoy looking at the pictures or listening to someone read, to make the story truly memorable, it is helpful to have a means of enriching the story-time experience. The use of puppets in the library or classroom is one more tool the librarian or teacher can use to personalize and make literature more accessible to children. There are a number of different ways puppets can be used: Playing with puppets--hands-on use of puppets by the children with no script or adult guidance. This is the type of activity which occurs spontaneously when puppets are made available to children. One child may interact with the puppet, or two children may have a dialog using puppets. Puppetizing--is closely supervised by one or more adults who apply creative dramatic techniques to direct children in the use of puppets for acting out stories, poems, songs and such. With puppetization there is neither audience or stage; the children merely perform informally for one another. Puppetelling--involves the use of puppets by the teacher or librarian to make music and literature visually exciting, to enrich story-time and to stimulate an appreciation of literature. Puppetalking--employs puppets on a one-to-one basis to encourage conversations related to social and emotional growth. A "mascot" puppet might welcome the children or introduce the topic of the day. Puppeteaching--uses puppets to facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and skills. Rainbow puppets aid in identification of colors, while an inchworm puppet reinforces the concepts of measurement. Puppet Shows--are formal dramatic presentations in which puppets are used to act out the story. A puppet show usually involves one or more puppeteers and an audience. The show may include props, backgrounds, a musical score and a formal stage setting Most librarians and teachers who chose to use puppets as one of their tools will be using Puppetizing, Puppetelling and Puppeteaching. The terms Puppetizing, Puppetelling, Puppetalking and Puppeteaching from Puppetry in Early Childhood Education by Tamara Hunt and Nancy Renfro, Nancy Renfro Studios, Austin Texas, 1982. ISBN 0-931044-04-9 �