Embodying Literacy: Teaching Reading, Writing, and Public Speaking Through Movement and Drama

Hello!  My name is Jennifer Dines, and I teach at the Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School, a Boston Public School in Dorchester.

This school year, I had the honor of participating in a course offered by VSA Massachusetts and the Boston Public Schools titled “Embodying Literacy”.  Through this course, I learned to engage students’ whole bodies in language and literacy learning with a group of creative and talented BPS colleagues.  The course was facilitated by two VSA MA teaching artists; drama expert Marianne Adams and dance therapist Priscilla Harmel.

The curricula that I developed as a result of this course increased my middle school students’ engagement in the classroom as well as boosted their reading and writing achievement as students began to use their whole beings to connect with text.

I encourage you to learn more about my experiences in the “Embodying Literacy” program by visiting I wrote on my website: .