Delaware Wolf Trap (DWT)

DIAE's Early Learning Through the Arts Program

Delaware Wolf Trap places professional performing artists in classroom residencies to work with children 3-5 years old, along with their teachers and parents/families through the disciplines of drama, music and movement.

These professional artists team with teachers to conduct seven-week residencies in classrooms, and each classroom is provided with curriculum materials. The rationale for this program is simple: music, movement and creative drama are powerful teaching strategies which help children master a variety of important skills, including language development, gross and fine motor coordination, concentration, verbalization, and memory.

DWT methods are particularly successful with young children from culturally diverse backgrounds and economically disadvantaged settings because they offer teachers practical and effective methods that can foster the children's positive self-image, a key to effective learning.

In sharing the Wolf Trap methods with teachers, DWT artists have two primary goals:

• To meet each teacher's immediate basic educational objectives
• To empower the teacher to continue to use proven Wolf Trap education strategies after a residency is completed.

The collaboration between the performing artist and early childhood professional serves to:

• Enrich and motivate the teacher's professional development
• Engage young children in active, creative learning experiences
• Energize efforts to bring parents and caregivers together in the classroom
• Enliven the classroom environment

If you have questions/comments, please contact us.