Drama at Key Stages 1 and 2

Drama and Writing

Connecting conventions to text types

In extended drama sessions it is more likely that teachers will 'seize the moment' to write, rather than work towards writing in a particular genre. In the former, the drama not the writing will take precedence and teachers will 'seize the moment to write' in response to the imaged context. In the latter, the focus will be on using drama to help generate and sculpt a particular genre of writing (Cremin et al., 2006).

The table below highlights the different drama conventions and the forms of writing which may most fruitfully develop from these. The student teachers will learn to make their own links to suit their particular purposes in writing, but will find possible connections useful. It is important to stress though that if drama is used merely as a means to motivating and empowering writers then its symbolic scope will be lessened and its potential will remain untapped.