Exploring the Level of Creativity Abilities of Primary School Students in a Theater Group at the Ascertaining Stage of the Experiment

The article reveals the issues of studying the initial level of formation of students’ creative abilities in additional education through theatrical and musical activities, and describes the results of the ascertaining stage of pedagogical diagnostic research of primary school students who are members of the theater class at the MV Vocal Studio School in St. Petersburg. The author identifies and presents in a visual form the main indicators that characterize the level of development of primary school students’ creative abilities in the control and experimental groups of subjects. The novelty of the research lies in the development of a special toolkit for the primary diagnosis of children’s creative abilities through the means of musical pedagogy, based on such parameters as emotional (figurative), plastic, speech, vocal, and improvisation. Based on the ascertainment experiment, the author concludes that primary school students’ creative abilities are underdeveloped, particularly those related to improvisation, vocal, and emotional (figurative) expressiveness when completing creative tasks. Conclusion dwells upon the fact that formative work is necessary in this direction.