Puppets promote disability awareness in Washington state school program

From The Woodinville Weekly in Washington state:

It’s Monday morning following mid-winter break, a day that’s often challenging for both kids and teachers. The vacation mode still lingers, making it hard to readily resume normal routines.

Kids, particularly the young-uns, are usually a bit squirrely and fidgety and it takes some work on the part of the teachers to engage their attention and get them to settle down.

But, in the early childhood wing at Cottage Lake Elementary, it’s a different scene. Students come in quickly, sit down without much fuss and patiently wait for the start of a special puppet show by The Kids on the Block.

As soon as the production begins, those in attendance, which include two special education preschool program classes, a general pre-K class, several kindergarten groups and children from the school’s Contained Learning Center, are glued to the action unfolding on stage.

The Kids on the Block originated in 1977, in response to U.S. Public Law 94-142, which required that children with disabilities be educated in the least restrictive environment.

For many, this meant being included in a classroom with their non-disabled peers. The puppet company was initially launched with the goal of helping to fill the need of disabled children to have their non-disabled peers understand and accept them.

Now internationally acclaimed, The Kids on the Block not only offers disability awareness programs, but also features productions aimed at medical issues such as leukemia and AIDS, educational differences including learning disabilities and ADHD, and social concerns ranging from sexual abuse prevention to alternatives to violence.

The type of puppetry used by the company is based on a Japanese puppetry style called Bunraku. In authentic Japanese Bunraku puppet theater, there are three puppeteers who operate one puppet.

One person manipulates the right hand, head and eyebrows, while the second moves the left hand and the third operates the feet.

The Kids on the Block puppets, which range in size from 3 to 4 feet tall, are manipulated in much the same way. However, usually only one puppeteer is needed to operate each "hand and rod" puppet.

The puppeteers dress in black and wear black hoods which helps them to "disappear" as the puppets come alive.

This style is extremely effective in creating an atmosphere where children feel comfortable asking the puppets questions about the given topic.

Earlier in the year, Tina Killen, a teacher in the special education preschool program at Cottage Lake, had received a $500 grant from Target to fund activities that involve both her students and the general pre-K students at the school. She opted to use some of the money to bring in The Kids on the Block.

"I had heard about this group," says Killen, "and I thought it would be a great opportunity for us to have them come and promote the inclusion of children with special needs at our school."

She explains: "The kids in our program have a wide range of disabilities, such as communication and developmental delays, physical handicaps, autism and various behavioral issues. Several times a week, we get together with the general pre-K class and do activities as one large group. The kids interact and learn from one another.

"It helps to increase their awareness of others and it brings to light the fact that we each learn differently. It’s a great opportunity for both classes and it’s wonderful to see the friendships that blossom among the children."

At the recent performance, members of The Kids on the Block presented a program that featured disabled and non-disabled puppets.

In one scene, Brenda meets Renaldo, a blind boy, who tells time using his Braille watch.

Brenda is amazed at Renaldo’s feat, which leads her to ask many questions about what people who are blind can do.

Renaldo describes Braille, as well as explains how he gets around without falling down, and even how he plays baseball using a special ball that beeps.

In another scene, Mark Riley, a new kid at school, talks about his cerebral palsy and takes questions from the audience about how he deals with everyday activities while confined to a wheelchair.

A final act features Lelani and her deaf friend Mandy. Lelani stops to pick up Mandy and take her to a mutual friend’s birthday party, but when she arrives, she finds that Mandy is not quite ready because she has been busy making peanut butter cookies The pair uses the opportunity to share a number of signs with the audience regarding the ingredients in the cookies.

"I think the kids really enjoyed the show," comments Killen. "It was fun and entertaining. And it presented a different way of looking at things for the kids, a different perspective, while stressing acceptance."