Selecting the skits to use is a critical decision when teaching elementary students. The skits need to be at a reading level that is appropriate for the grade level you're teaching. Some difficult words are acceptable, but the students should be able to read and comprehend what the skit is saying to have a meaningful drama experience. For an educational connection, choose skits that relate to topics you're teaching in other subjects, such as a historical skit to relate to your current history topic or a skit version of a story from reading class. Let the kids play a role in the skit selection to create excitement about the project.
Working in smaller groups with the skits allows for more involvement and individual instruction or encouragement. Smaller casts are typical for skits so you won't likely have enough roles for all of your students anyway. Teach basic acting and performance skills to the entire class before doing the skits. Examples include moving around the stage area, inflection and where to look while performing. Practice as a class, or do a sample skit with everyone involved. This preparation enables the kids to better perform in smaller groups on separate skits.
The preparation phase allows the students to learn the script and put their drama skills into practice. A read-through gives the participants an idea of what happens in the skit. They gain a sense of their own roles and how they interact. From there, you can begin planning out the movements and details of the skit performance. Give the kids plenty of practice time and input on their performances to teach them stronger dramatic skills.
Schedule a performance of the skits in front of an audience so the students are able to show off their hard work. This also helps them gain confidence in being in front of others. Potential audience members include classmates, other classes, school staff or parents. Get the students involved as much as possible in the production of the skits. Encourage them to offer input on their actions or phrasing. As the students become more comfortable with performing skits, let them write their own scripts. This encourages greater creativity while improving their writing skills.