Improving Learning Through Improv: Using the “Yes, and…” Approach with Students

Heather Burley

Jun 11

4 min read

In improvisational theater, actors make up entire scenes without a script. It’s a real challenge because they’re creating their characters and developing a plot with the other actors— learning everything as they go. To make improv work, one actor must accept what other actors offer and then figure out how to build on it. This principle of “Yes, and…” makes improv possible. But can it also improve a learning environment? Yes! And here’s why.

Imagine two actors in an improvised scene. One actor extends his hand and says, “Here… take my keys and go start the car!” A second actor grabs the imaginary keys and says, “Got them! I’ll be right out front… and hurry!” The actors are helping each other move a plot forward and can play out the rest of the scene.

But what if the second actor says, “But you’re not holding any keys!” and just stands there with her arms crossed? The world the actors had been building suddenly ends, and the audience is confused. That’s why “Yes, and…” is one of the foundations of improv. Accepting and moving forward keeps the momentum going.

So let’s say a student is muddling around in new information and tries their best to answer a question, explain a process, or work through a problem. If they don’t have the exact answer, a parent or teacher could say, “No, that’s not right!”—which is the same as telling an acting partner they’re not holding any keys. Rather than shutting down the student’s learning “scene,” the adult could think like an improv player, meet them where they are, and encourage a next step.

Simple responses based on the “Yes, and…” model give students permission to stay curious and be open to learning more as they go. Instead of treating an idea as the final answer, they begin to see it as something they can explore and develop. It also makes learning more collaborative. Students learn to listen to another person’s thinking, take intellectual risks, and recognize that an unexpected idea can be an opportunity rather than an obstacle.

Here are a few examples of what “Yes, and…” looks like in practice:

A misconception in science
Student: “Plants get all their food from the soil because that’s where their roots are.”
Teacher: “You’re right that the roots are really important for a plant’s survival. What do you think the roots are taking in from the soil? And do you think sunlight has anything to do with their food?”

This validates the student’s observation and then leads them away from their misconception to discover more accurate information.
An incorrect answer in math
Student: “I know 3 × 4 is 7 because you just add the numbers.”
Teacher: “I can see why you connected multiplication with addition—they are related. So let’s draw four groups of three dots and add them together. How many dots do we have?”

This acknowledges a reasonable connection and encourages the student to discover the mistake in their thinking for themselves.
A student who is frustrated
Student: “I tried it, and it doesn’t work. I’m just not good at this.”
Teacher: “Well, you’ve discovered one way that doesn’t work, and that’s really useful information. What could we change and try next?”

This is essentially “Yes, and…” translated into a learning mindset: Yes, that’s what happened—and now what can we do with that information?

Improvisation as a drama practice gets actors to listen, acknowledge, and continue to build. And it mimics a learning environment because the actors don’t have a set of directions or the “right” answers. When a student gets feedback that their ideas are worth exploring—even when those ideas are incomplete—it can help them see learning as an exciting, improvisational process.

This approach doesn’t mean parents and teachers should never correct a mistake or provide accurate information. It just reframes the problem and reminds us that sometimes the best response to a student’s incomplete or unexpected idea is not to replace it with the correct answer, but to use it as a stepping-stone toward deeper thinking. The student then understands that being wrong isn’t the end of the thinking process. It can actually be the beginning of real learning.

The role of “Yes, and…” in the ArtsAlive! curriculum:

This acting principle is specifically introduced in the ArtsAlive! Level 3 performing arts unit, but the idea of improvisation is celebrated in many ways throughout our curriculum. That’s because many artists—from actors and jazz musicians to writers, painters, and dancers— employ improvisation as a creative tool. While it’s important for students to follow directions and reproduce and practice skills they’ve been shown, it’s also essential for them to explore, experiment, make choices, and learn how to respond when things happen so they can build on their own ideas. In this way, improvisation becomes more than a performing arts technique. It becomes a way of approaching learning—with curiosity, flexibility, collaboration, and a willingness to discover what might happen next!

About the author:

Heather Burley earned a master’s in education and holds a multi-age teacher’s license in drama instruction. She served as the principal content developer for Artifact Creative’s ArtsAlive! K–2 theater and 3–5 performing arts courses.

When students study subjects like music, visual art, theater, literature, dance, creative writing, and history, they learn to make meaningful connections to their own lives and to the world around them. Artifact Creative develops digital and hands-on educational material in these rich areas of the arts and humanities to inspire critical, creative, and compassionate thinking and to serve as an essential foundation for authentic, lifelong learning.

For more information, visit ArtiFactCreative.org or contact Dana.Corradi@ArtiFactCreative.org