Dramatic Inquiry: An Inclusive Approach to Learning With Collaboration and Multiple Modes

Dramatic inquiry is an arts-based method for exploring curricular goals in real and fictional contexts created in the classroom. Students and teachers collaborate as they explore possible solutions to inquiry questions to make meaning. Dramatic inquiry promotes inclusion by encouraging the use of tools and multiple modes for demonstrating understanding and sharing knowledge with others. In this article, the authors describe dramatic inquiry and provide steps for creating a dramatic inquiry unit that incorporates individualized education program goals and content learning to promote improved outcomes for early childhood students with disabilities.