- Definition
When your child is "out of role," it means they've stepped out of character during a play or activity to talk about the game or story itself, rather than staying in character.
When two children playing 'house' pause to decide who will be the baby, they are out of role.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: Going 'out of role' is like pausing a game of make-believe to ask a question or decide what happens next.
Ask your child: When playing pretend, how do you plan what's next?
Common mix-up: Kids might think pausing the drama means the game is over. Going out of role is a helpful tool to make the pretend play even better.
Examples
- A teacher stops a class drama to ask, 'What would your character do now?' This discussion happens out of role.
- Kids playing superheroes might stop to agree on what their powers are before they continue the game.
out of role is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
- Grade 1 The Arts
- Grade 2 The Arts
- Grade 3 The Arts
- Grade 4 The Arts
- Grade 5 The Arts
- Grade 6 The Arts
- Grade 7 The Arts
+1 more mention across the curriculum
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
