Development Through Drama

Discusses the importance of drama in the learning development of children and suggests ideas and exercises designed to stimulate the imagination and encourage creativity.

'Learning Through Drama' contains drama strategies and lesson plans for use with primary school children across the curriculum. The book provides guidance to teachers who have never taught drama before but are considering using it in a subject area such as science or history and offers new approaches to those familiar with common drama techniques (such as hot-seating and teacher in role). The book includes 36 drama strategies and over 250 cross-curricular activities, including practical ideas for inspiring speaking, listening and writing. 'This book is a beautifully laid-out, easy to use resource, full of imaginative and practical ideas to help learning become much more memorable and inspirational.' - Hilary Lewis (Drama Consultant). 'Even the well-practiced and creative drama teacher will find something in this book that serves as a refresher, reminder or quite simply a new idea... a must-have publication for those serious about the teaching of drama in primary school settings.' - Teaching Drama magazine.

Drama as a process-centred form is a popular and valued methodology used to develop thinking and learning in children, while theatre provides a greater focus on the element of performance. In recent years, offering drama and theatre as a shared experience is increasingly used to engage children and to facilitate learning in a drama classroom. Using drama and theatre as a central component with children, this book is an amalgamation of theory, research and practice from across the globe offering insights into differing educational contexts. Chapters provide an exploration of the methodologies and techniques used to improve drama in the curriculum, and highlight the beneficial impact drama has in a variety of classrooms, enriching learning and communication. Contributions from 17 authors, ranging from teachers in schools or universities, to researchers and drama practitioners, examine a variety of perspectives related to drama and children in an attempt to bridge gaps and move ahead collectively as educators, practitioners and researchers in drama and theatre. Divided into two parts, Part I reflects on the use of drama in its varied forms with children, while Part II focuses on projects and experiments with children using theatre in order to draw links between drama, theatre and pedagogy. Drama and Theatre with Children will be key reading for researchers, academics and postgraduate students in the fields of drama education, theatre education, curriculum studies and child development. The book will also be of interest to drama practitioners, school teachers and teacher training leaders.

This book provides teachers of children at Key Stages 1 and 2 with a much-needed source of exciting and creative drama-based activities, designed to improve literacy. As useful for the drama novice as for the busy literacy co-ordinator, these flexible activities are designed to help teachers meet National Curriculum and National Literacy Strategy (NLS) requirements, particularly through speaking and listening. The book is divided into three parts: Part 1 looks at literacy and the power of drama as a 'brain-friendly' medium for teaching and learning. Part 2 contains ten structured, practical units of work, each based on a different story, poem, play or traditional tale or rhyme and each linked directly to the requirements and objectives of the NLS and the QCA objectives for speaking and listening. Part 3 contains photocopiable Literacy Support Sheets for teachers to use and adapt for their own classroom needs. All units of work have been tried and tested by the authors, giving teachers a springboard from which to enhance and extend their literacy lessons, and engage the imagination of their pupils. The book is also the ideal resource for student teachers.

‘Here’s a knocking indeed!’ says the Porter in Shakespeare’s Scottish play (Act II, Scene 3) and immediately puts himself into role in order to deal with the demands of such an early call after a late night of drinking and carousal: ‘If a man were porter of hell-gate...’. But what roles does the porter of curriculum-gate take on in order to deal with drama’s persistent demands for entry? Ah, that depends upon the temperature of the times. We, who have been knocking for what seems to be a very long time, know well that when evaluation and measurement criteriaare demanded as evidence of drama’s ef cacy, an examiner stands as gatekeeper. When the educational landscape is in danger of overcrowding, we meet a territorial governor. And how often has the courtesan turned out to be only a tease because the arts are, for a brief moment, in the spotlight for their abilities to foster out-of-the-box thinkers? In this text, we meet these ‘commissionaires’ and many more. The gatekeeping roles and what they represent are so familiar that they have become cliches ́ to us. We know them by their arguments, ripostes, dismissals, their brief encouragement and lack of follow-up. And we know that behind each one (however rmly they think they keep the keys) is a nancial and political master whose power controls the curriculum building and everything in it.

Drama-based Pedagogy examines the mutually beneficial relationship between drama and education, championing the versatility of drama-based teaching and learning designed in conjunction with classroom curricula. Written by seasoned educators and based upon their own extensive experience in diverse learning contexts, this book bridges the gap between theories of drama in education and classroom practice. Kathryn Dawson and Bridget Kiger Lee provide an extensive range of tried and tested strategies, planning processes, and learning experiences, in order to create a uniquely accessible manual for those who work, think, train, and learn in educational and/or artistic settings. It is the perfect companion for professional development and university courses, as well as for already established educators who wish to increase student engagement and ownership of learning.

Grade level: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, e, i, s, t.

Beegu is not supposed to be on Earth. She is lost. She is a friendly little creature, but the Earth People don't seem very welcoming at all. However, so far she has only met the BIG ones. The little ones are a different matter . . .