The aim of this study is to explore how children bring together motor processes, language and perception when embodying emotional states (Condition 1) versus factual events (Condition 2) through the story characters of 'Little Red Riding Hood'. Children aged 3-4 years (N = 33) were observed while enacting each story-character through…

This article is based upon research into a participatory Theatre in Education (TiE) programme that toured the West Midlands in 2009, funded by the UK's PREVENT initiative intended to counter the radicalisation of young British nationals by extremist political groups. The article provides a summary of the TiE programme and then presents…

The Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah (the Blahs) have been working in youth centres since 1985 and over that time the Blahs have experimented with ways to make theatre for young people in this environment. A youth centre can be a hostile place to take a piece of theatre. Many of the youth centres the Blahs have visited have been in areas of social…

In September 2008 the author created an encounter between herself and Rick Walker, the Director of Cartwheel Arts, a small community arts company in Rochdale, in the North West of England. As one of the three founding workers of what was then Cartwheel Community Arts in 1984, she hoped to create a conversation which recollected or traced some of…

This article gives a brief historical account of the principal rationales of drama in education in England, pursuing the notion of distortion of the nature of drama itself. By looking at past mistakes, we may better assess the place of drama in today's curriculum. (MT)

This paper outlines research which examined the relationship between drama and writing, detailing the method of enquiry, theoretical foundations and emergent findings. The study sought to understand the nature of the support that drama offers children as writers and to identify features of writing which regularly surfaced in drama-related writing.…

An environmental education program for children at Killerton Park (England) combines reenactment of myths and other outdoor learning activities in an effort to "re-story" the landscape and give children a sense of place in the natural world. The activities were successful in stimulating the children's creativity and sensitivity to…

This study investigates the perceptions and practices of early childhood practitioners in relation to the development of thinking in children aged 3-5 years. Five practitioners working in nursery and reception classes in England were interviewed, and sessions were observed in each setting, including discussions with the children. The results…

This paper compares the effects of fantasy play tutoring and tutoring in specific skills on the performance of nursery school children on a battery of tests and observations. Children from two classes in each of two nursery schools participated in the study, with a total of 65 children completing pre- and post-testing as well as follow-up testing…

This case study investigated the introduction of a theme from popular culture into a sociodramatic role-play area in a northern England Nursery Infant school, focusing on its effects on 6- to 7-year olds' literacy activities. Findings indicated that the incorporation of themes from popular culture into the curriculum motivated children whose…

Describes the pioneering work in England of Susan and Nathan Isaacs in child development and educational psychology and argues that their work provides a remarkably contemporary analysis of the origin and function of human language. (Author/RDN)

Recounts a week-long environmental program that revolved around staff dressing up as Alpha Centaurions to point out pollution on Earth. Activities were chosen to teach students about ways in which our environment is being ruined and students were encouraged to look for solutions. Activities included zoo visits, ecological study of Brockhill Valley…