Putting on a puppet show can benefit children in a couple of ways. Children can reenact stories through puppets, helping the teacher see how much those students understood the story. Children are also able to express their feelings through puppets. You do not need store-bought puppets to have your students put on a puppet show. You can use socks with faces drawn on them, decorated brown lunch bags and even drawings of characters cut out and glued to craft sticks.
Once or twice a week, allow one of your students to take over during circle time. Have that student read a book to the class and teach a lesson of his choice. Children will enjoy getting a chance to play teacher for the entire class. This is also a sneaky way for you to evaluate yourself as a teacher. You students will often emulate your tone of voice and repeat phrases that you overuse.
After you have a read a story with your students, have them dress up and act it out. Act the story out a few times to make sure that every student has a chance to play a role from the story. The students who are not playing a role are the audience. This allows you to see how well the students understood the story. It also helps teach your students the importance of being a respectful audience member.
Teach your students manners by pretending you are all out to eat in a fancy restaurant during lunch time. Discuss how your students should act when they go out to dinner. Talk about saying "please" and "thank you," not talking with your mouth full and how to sit properly. Make ties for the boys out of construction paper and necklaces for the girls from lacing beads.