Nursery World - Lead Role

The practitioner needs to keep a clear idea of where children's drama is heading in order to achieve a particular learning goal, starting from the source idea that stimulates it Drama is possible even with the children at very early stages of learning. The approach proposed here is based on them 'learning how to do it while doing it!' After all, we do not give children books only after they've learned to read, or a pencil after they've learned to draw.

Drama is possible even with the children at very early stages of learning. The approach proposed here is based on them 'learning how to do it while doing it!' After all, we do not give children books only after they've learned to read, or a pencil after they've learned to draw.

Babies begin to discover make-believe in the following kind of situation: baby throws rattle out of cot - carer feigns anger and hands it back - baby does it again, and again. Similarly, in drama with young children, practitioners can generate this 'game of theatre' (Bolton, 1992), even if the children's ability to make-believe is not fully formed. The children will discover it by being immersed in the situation and sensing an atmosphere with peaks of excitement followed by calm, imitating others and learning how to adapt their behaviour in the light of the pretence and 'playing the game'.

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