Drama at Key Stages 1 and 2

Drama and Writing

Introduction

Drama can be a powerful tool for enabling young writers to generate ideas, to rehearse their ideas orally and to shape the content of their writing. Not only is it highly motivating, but it involves the learners emotionally and cognitively, providing both purpose and audience for their writing. The lived experience of drama can become a natural writing frame, charged with the engagement of the imaginary scenario; as a consequence writing in role often has voice, verve and conviction.

During literacy-time drama, when the focus is on supporting writing through drama, careful bridges need to be built between the drama conventions used and the form of writing desired. The teacher needs to select the text type and prepare the ground by flexibly adopting different drama conventions as the class move in and out of the imagined experience. Whilst several conventions may be used to percolate ideas and involve the learners, the final convention employed prior to writing needs to link to the chosen genre. In this way the last improvised scenario acts a kind of dress rehearsal for their writing.

For example decision or conscience alley can lead to discursive writing which weighs up the pros and cons of a situation, or diary/letter writing. Alternatively, forum theatre can lead to writing the play script of the improvised encounter or a report written in role. When drama is integrated into a unit of work it operates as a supportive scaffold for writing, and helps young writers develop what they want to say, find their position and perspective and prepare to commit this to paper or screen.