Nursery World - Stage Directions

Use these guidelines to ensure that you are making the most of your early years drama sessions If you are now feeling confident enough to venture into providing drama, then take the following strategies into account when planning your sessions:

If you are now feeling confident enough to venture into providing drama, then take the following strategies into account when planning your sessions:

Provide a clear focus. Provide boundaries within which children can make creative choices, rather than vague imaginative leaps, with the children in general roles such as villagers, farm workers, notional friends of a character played by the teacher. Avoid having stereotypical 'character' parts, as they can distract from the issue in focus.

Provide secure structures. Use 'containing' strategies strategically that have planned elements of freedom (turn-taking moments, rituals, movement and physical tasks, drama games), with a clearly demarcated 'safe' place to sit.

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