6th Grade Multidisciplinary Reading Theatre: Erich Kästner's Classic Youth Literature in Today's Context

Abstract

Erich Kästner's children's literature shaped children's reading and socialisation experiences for decades in Germany. His texts combine vividness with the communication of classic values and promote independent problem-solving strategies. The theatre project presented adapted a Kästner text as reading theatre. The work strengthened creative, linguistic and social skills and confirmed literature as an action-oriented practice for personality and group development. The article describes how classic children's and young adult literature can be used to create a participatory Theatre project that promotes reading, writing, and acting.