Discuss Critically How Drama Contributes to Effective Teaching of Primary English

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Discuss critically how Drama contributes to effective teaching of Primary English Recent Ofsted reports have highlighted the necessity for schools to engage in creative practice to ensure the English curriculum is found both engaging and inspiring by students across the country (Ofsted 2011a). Good practice in outstanding schools has shown there are many different routes to excellence, and that each school does it slightly differently. However, high quality English teaching together with an innovative curriculum was evident in all the schools represented (Ofsted 2011a). Storytelling and Drama share a number of features which make it easy to incorporate into English lessons and allow children to engage creatively in a fictional play (Cremin, 2009a). It is a powerful arts subject which during the Early Years Foundation Stage can enhance children’s language development through role play and can enrich the study of other subjects in later years (as well as being a significant learning aid in the study of English literacy and language) (Rose, 2009). Play is an essential part of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (DfE, 2011) where there are less formal convention of learning and play is featured more prominently. Observations of children at play will reveal many innate drama skills such as creative role playing, ability to imagine settings and characters, communicating feelings and emotions, and creating atmosphere and mood (Arts on the move, 2012). It is these skills that teachers need to utilise in the English classroom to engage children more effectively with both English language and literacy. Ofsted outlined good practice cited in outstanding schools as ‘Good-quality use of drama … a feature of several of the most effective schools’ (Ofsted 2011b). Drama allows the child to go into unknown territory and explore previously untried

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