All The World’s a Stage… Education News from Alleyn's | www.alleyns.org.uk Rebekah Manning, Drama teacher at Alleyn’s Junior School, tells us how our children can benefit from drama at home.
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ou do not need a performer in the family to enjoy nurturing a love of drama. Children have a natural ability to create and play using their imaginations. The more you engage with this ability the more easily your child will harness the invaluable skills they will gain and use them in social and academic settings. Finding time in our busy lives can be a challenge but even a few minutes playing and creating happy memories in the process - will benefit your child’s literacy, speaking and listening, problem solving, collaboration, empathy, understanding of the world, confidence, creativity, and concentration.
Stories Sharing stories together can be bonding time and discussing and exploring them is a great way to explore drama. Role-playing episodes from storybooks is not only fun but can help deepen your child’s understanding of stories and characters. Ask questions like: ‘What do you think will happen next?’, ‘Show me how you think the character walks and talks.’ or ‘Imagine I am Hagrid and you are Harry and I have come to take you to Hogwarts; what do you say to me?’
Create your own story Your child will love the magic created by making up stories together. Establish characters and a scenario, introduce a problem to overcome and find a resolution - then take it in turns to tell a section of the story. A twist always goes down well! Eye contact and pausing for suspense are powerful, too! Finally, remember that anything goes; there is no right or wrong. Role-play: Make-believe games allow children to improvise both the world around them and a world of their invention. Use whatever stimulus interests your child - anything can be used to create scenarios for you to improvise around. Making them the experts and allowing them to take you on their journey is empowering. 18 | SE22 - June 2022
Puppets: Playing with puppets or cuddly toys can be a gateway for children to explore and communicate challenging feelings or worries. Perform: Act out stories and poems, whether as a performer or a member of the audience, is great fun. Raid the wardrobe for costumes! Games: Good old fashioned ‘Charades’ or ‘Famous Names out of a Hat’ make great Drama practice. Rhubarb and custard: Re-enacting a scene from a story or play just using the words rhubarb and custard can help develop how we use our voices, physicality, and facial expression to tell a story without relying on dialogue. Mirroring: Taking turns to mirror each other’s slow movements can help physical control and concentration, create a sense of well-being and encourage eye contact. Tongue twisters: Trying to say these is helpful for articulation and pronunciation. The skills children acquire taking part in drama are wide-reaching, so find time to be creative and imaginative with your child, and above all have fun!
Useful Links www.punchdrunkenrichment.org.uk/project/ourhome-story www.officiallondontheatre.com/family-theatre
