Jelly Beans Creative Learning - Benefits & Research

What is Creative Dramatics/Dramatic Play, and what benefit will it provide our children?

What is creative dramatics/dramatic play? "Around the age of two, children begin to show behavior that is commonly known as 'pretending" (Judith Schickedanz). Those who study children term it "dramatic play".

"Informal dramatic play occurs daily. It's one of children's most natural ways of learning. It provides a way of scaling down, understanding and dealing with the world around them" (Ideas for Creative Curriculum; Austin Association for the Education of Young Children).

Although dramatic play in a classroom differs from children's make believe and self-initiated play, it is worth considering what they share in common simply because children who engage in spontaneous, make believe play have already acquired the skills required to participate successfully in classroom play" (Patrick Verriour). The most effective way to stimulate and direct this spontaneous kind of drama is to provide young children with a suitable environment and the freedom necessary for experimentation.

Why is dramatic play preferable to doing productions? The adults who write, stage and costume plays derive some measure of satisfaction, but "this common form of drama must be the least creative and worthwhile method of using this important teaching tool for young children" (Ideas for Creative Curriculum).

Adults tend to place more value on the end product of an artistic endeavor than on the experiences and discoveries of the children involved. The use of simple props props, costumes, and puppets can heighten children's enjoyment of drama when the emphasis is placed on the child's creativity, rather than on conformity to any adult aesthetic standards. For example: "A teacher stages a Christmas play to impress or please the parents, but 5 year old Timmy wants to be a wise man so he can pretend to be a king and ride a camel. Timmy can probably achieve his goals and his deepest level of satisfaction from the experience in one session of playmaking" (dramatic play), but in this time his teacher's just getting rolling. (Ideas for Creative Curriculum) By the time the teacher is satisfied with the product, Timmy is long since bored, and is not really exploring his role- he's just reciting lines he no longer cares about.

If children are allowed to explore roles under fewer imposed constraints, and are allowed to enjoy the activity, they will learn more from the process and stay far more interested in it.

General developmental benefits: "Play is the leading source of development in the Pre-school years" writes L.S. Vygotsky. "Through creative dramatic experience the child will learn to manipulate, explore, and develop a certain degree of readiness for future endeavors" (Brizendine & Thomas).

"Drama has a way of making a child feel good about himself"(Brizendine & Thomas).

Advocates maintain there are a myriad of worthwhile outcomes from students' participation in creative dramatics activities, including:

wholesome emotional development
inner security
social cooperation
creative expression
critical thinking
Concentration
physical poise
sensory awareness
basic skills
aesthetic sensibilities, and so on.

"Creative dramatics (dramatic play) can help the teacher encourage the child to think, express himself, release emotions, understand feelings, develop confidence and get to know himself" (Betty Lou Nixon).

"The arts have a special role to play in human learning because they celebrate what we share in common while at the same time respecting our cultural differences" (P. Verrior). Drama in its many forms is an excellent teaching tool for developing the creativity and imagination of young children.

Educational Benefits: social, emotional and lanuage learning: "The language of drama encompasses the different modes of expression that human beings use to communicate with one another and encourages students to become more aware of and sensitive to language" (P. Verrior).

Key elements of language learning in drama include:

using descriptive language
comparing and contrasting
making predictions
asking questions
drawing conclusions
giving opinions or ratings
formulating, testing, and establishing hypotheses
assessing causes, effects, motives, methods, consequences & implications
developing generalizations
using language-variety of styles, registers, signaling intentions, reading and responding to the signals of others
questioning assumptions
stating alternatives

"Children learn about language in all its forms in the dramatic play environment. Talking is vital to dramatic play. Children talk more in this than any other classroom setting. The meaningful context in which talking occurs and the natural requirements for effective communication are ideal for supporting language development" (Brizendine & Thomas). In addition, play props provide good opportunities for children to learn new words, such as stethoscope, coupons, etc.

Perhaps the most appealing aspect of helping young children learn the language arts through play is that children learn to talk by talking, and read by reading. Doing them is the best way of learning these skills.

Reading & Writing: "Dramatic play also provides meaningful opportunities through which children can be introduced to reading and writing" (Brizendine & Thomas). Food cartons in a grocery store theme are wonderful sources as are signs in a traffic theme. A "let's go grocery shopping" sequence of dramatic play could have children wishing to try to write their own shopping list. The interest may yield only scribbles, but the interest remains.

"In order to read with ease, a child needs certain skills" that can be "developed through dramatic play" (Brizendine & Thomas).

Social Learning: Through dramatic play, children learn the following:

to learn to accept the ideas of others
to develop interpersonal skills and a sense of group dynamics
to know how a group functions
to accept different learning styles
to identify with other peoples lives, their concerns, and their problems at a personal, concrete level
to share their work with others with a feeling of trust and sincerity
to know what they say and how they respond are valued
to assume responsibility for initiating actions and ideas

"These aims in drama acknowledge that students should always be encouraged to view themselves and their contributions to work in terms of the needs, interests, and concerns of the other participants. Fostering positive social attitudes in the classroom so that learning can take place is a major concern in all teaching" (P. Verrior).

"Working cooperatively is central to dramatic playing, which contains many characteristics of children's make believe play and places similar demands on students to play together in a spirit of tolerance and acceptance" (P.Verrior).

Emotional Learning:
"Students bring their own knowledge to drama. This knowledge along with personal feelings, attitudes, values and beliefs constitutes a crucial element in any drama. The truth and authenticity with which each individual in role responds to the dramatic situation is crucial to the success of the dramatic learning experience for all participants." (P.Verriour)

Key elements in the emotional area of learning in drama include:

Recalling past emotions and feelings

Expressing emotions and feelings

Understanding emotions

Identifying with the emotions and feelings of others

Formulating and being aware of personal beliefs, values and attitudes

Expressing emotions, personal beliefs, values and attitudes which may be different from their own

Valuing themselves and feeling a sense of self worth

Feeling they are empowered to act and make changes

- Wendy Muhlhauser

Sources

Ideas for Creative curriculum; Austin Association for Education of Young Children; 1973

In Role: Teaching and Learning Dramtically; Patrick Verriour; 1994; Pippin Publishing LTD.

Learning Through Dramatics: Ideas for Teachers and librarians; 1982; Oryx Press

Suggested Reading:

Development Through Drama
Brian Way

Theater Games For The Classroom
Viola Spolin

PlayBuilding A guide For Group Creation of Plays With Young People
Errol Bray