Formal plays offer opportunities for a child to develop skills in memorization oral expression, teamwork, and leadership. (Author)

This book contains papers presented at an "Interactive Research Conference" held in June 1996 at the University of Central England. The conference focused on the pioneering work of Professor Dorothy Heathcote in the field of drama in education. Twenty-three different countries were represented at the conference. The book has three…

A course in the production of plays for and with children for presentation at elementary schools is outlined. This course involves choosing the play and mounting the production. The performance objectives indicate the student will: develop the necessary stage disciplines to perform as a member of a production unit; reacquaint himself with a…

Presents five articles on using creative dramatics in early childhood education: (1) "Drama: A Rehearsal for Life" (Julia Gabriel); (2) "Fairy Tales Enhance Imagination and Creative Thinking" (Olga Sidlovskaya); (3) "Starting with a Story" (Ruth Stotter); (4) "Using Creative Dramatics to Include All…

This publication is part of a series of monographs on the art of teaching. Each volume, focusing on a specific discipline, explores theory in the context of teaching strategies connected to evaluation of both teachers' and students' learning. Three techniques are offered for using the series: dialogues (as self-evaluation and in study groups),…

This paper provides a basic framework for using creative drama to achieve a wide range of objectives in educating students with mental disabilities; these objectives include enhanced communication skills, discipline and teamwork, self-concept, and creativity. Drama techniques such as movement exercises, games, structured play, role playing, and…

Describes a case study which collected journals from, interviewed, and observed 23 children as they participated in a 6-week creative drama workshop using the Rutgers Imagination Method. Finds improvement in specific areas of learning, including vocabulary, imagery abilities, and dramatic behavior. (SR)

A classroom research project in Alaska explored what role dramatic play and story reenactments have as a teaching/learning method for young childrens' development. A review of the literature identified several common elements that helped teachers elicit successful dramatic story reenactments: choosing a familiar book or story; encouraging…

Discusses creative dramatics as an experiential and interactive play process comprised of three phases: (1) pantomiming action; (2) improvising words; and (3) building plot and characters. Contains teacher information on guiding and encouraging playmaking, creating a developmentally appropriate dramatics program, and the expected benefits of…

The conference reported here was attended by educators and theater professionals from 24 countries, grouped into five discussion sections. Summaries of the proceedings of the discussion groups, each followed by postscripts by individual participants who wished to amplify portions of the summary, are presented. The discussion groups and the editors…

Over a period of months, illiterate and disruptive Black and Puerto Rican junior high school students in New York City developed and staged an updated version of "West Side Story." Although by professional standards the results were poor, students were able to participate in a highly rewarding activity which demanded discipline,…

Details four developmentally appropriate dramatic play experiences for integration into the classroom curriculum to extend dramatic play into a classroom play experience. Provides guidance in turning dramatic play into a project, launching the play process, readying the performance, problem solving, playing the play, and enjoying the outcome.…

In an experiment designed to involve reluctant learners in a creative learning experience, a class of youngsters assumed the role of a Sahara Desert tribe and talked about their perplexity in finding a chair washed up on the beach. Using this incident as the focal point for a project, the teacher divided the children into small groups to compose…