Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

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When students use playful materials to build a physical object that represents their thinking, they grapple with texts in new ways.

Karla Hilliard, an English teacher at Spring Mills High School in West Virginia, is a big believer in play. “Play can be purposeful,” Hilliard says, “and there are lots of reasons to play.” It’s a break, it’s a way for students to connect, and it’s a way to deepen their literary analysis skills. That’s why she introduces her students to a playful activity she calls thematic sculptures.

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