Drama activities

Drama provides active learning situations that explore human relationships, behaviour and events. Through drama children can express their present feelings, understanding and knowledge and are led to new feelings, new understanding and new knowledge. Drama involves the child in a process that is fun, active and intrinsically related to his/her existing experience of play and other forms of interactive and imitative behaviour.

Using drama as a methodology in SPHE can help to heighten self-esteem and self-confidence by providing opportunities for children to take risks and to experiment with their own ideas. Through the activities children are given a sense of control over their own lives as they learn how to make decisions, solve problems and devise solutions in a safe, non-threatening situation. Drama can be effectively used to foster appropriate social behaviour by exploring different social situations, by expressing feelings, giving points of view, and listening genuinely to others or participating in group meetings.

Through drama, children are also helped to make sense of the world around them and to begin to understand themselves and their own behaviour in relation to the behaviour of others. In projecting themselves into a situation, children assume attitudes and behaviour that may not necessarily be their own. Playing a role allows them to become aware of some of the demands of that role in real life and to learn something of the person, the situation and the problem involved.

Dramatic activity can take place in pairs and in small or large groups.

EXEMPLAR 1 - Drama activities (infant classes)

EXEMPLAR 2 - Drama activities (first and second classes)

EXEMPLAR 3 - Drama activities (third and fourth classes)

EXEMPLAR 4 - Drama activities (fifth and sixth classes)