Classroom Drama from Children's Reading: From the Page to the Stage.

Abstract

Jeannette L. Miccinati Stephen Phelps Give children a story. Add a liberal dose of childhood imagination, a little encouragement and structure, and kids' natural ability to play-act, and you have classroom drama. We are not talking about theatrical performances, certainly not Class Play, but simple improvisa tions or written sketches based on what children have read. Although some of these little dramas may eventually be polished and presented to the whole class, most of them will be done for their own sake, and for the fun, understanding, and learning which children derive from them. Drama is a natural companion to reading instruction, for as Ross and Roe (1977) have pointed out, drama requires the same language abilities and thinking skills which are funda^ mental to reading. A child who is acting out a story must both compre hend and express the important details of plot and character, word meanings, the sequence of the story, and relationships of cause and effect. This requires the ability to interpret, to draw inferences, and to apply one's own knowledge and experiences to the story. It also requires attention to what other characters are saying and doing and an awareness of how ideas are being communicated, both physically and verbally. The student gets immediate feedback on the success of this communication. Classroom drama is also an im portant motivator. Children are en couraged to read for many reasons: