The interactional competence of 12 kindergarten children was studied through naturalistic research of their sociodramatic play in a classroom context. Data were collected by both videotape and trained observers. Contextual and interactional information was analyzed according to an Interactional Competency Checklist (ICC) designed by the author.…

Offered as a supplement to the House Corner Curriculum Manual (HCCM) this trainer's guide for center directors and others responsible for teacher training and parent education focuses on developing and presenting workshops. The guide is divided into five sessions, each of which corresponds to the five chapters in the HCCM. Topics include the…

With the celebration of the United States bicentennial as impetus, university students and faculty attempted several approaches to the creation of a touring documentary production composed almost completely from primary sources. This paper describes the process involved in producing a traveling show which featured groups relatively excluded from…

Designed as a practical guide for teachers, this handbook presents ways of introducing drama and movement into secondary school curricula. A basic program for a movement class is offered, based on three objectives: one's own movement, secondary or underlying motives, and the balance of freedom and discipline. In the first section of the book,…

Dramatic play, an activity for which children show a natural inclination, provides kindergarten children with the opportunities for acquiring new vocabulary, extending word meaning, acquiring and practicing verbal expression and syntactical patterns, and gaining in language facility. In order to foster this language development, kindergarten…

This book is about using movement, shape, color, texture, rhythm, sounds, and words to express ideas, attitudes, and feelings. It is about learning to be open to one's feelings and the feelings of others. The first four chapters deal with questioning, groundwork, and evaluation; they discuss such topics as arranging space, teacher participation,…

The purposes of this study were to compare the effectiveness of Dorothy Heathcote's informal drama methodology (referred to as ENCOUNTER) with a formal drama approach (PLAYS) in increasing self-esteem of preadolescents in a Christian education program, and to determine if positive correlation existed between self-esteem and intrinsic religious…

This paper proposes using dramatic situations for prewriting and writing assignments. Dramatic situations are defined as the process by which students, working in pairs, argue or discuss on paper in dialogue form a human question or problem. A sequence of exercises in several stages is outlined. First, students are divided into pairs and pass a…

Radio plays can provide opportunities for high school or college students to act without having to memorize scripts. Elements necessary for a well-produced radio play consist of: (1) a suitable play, which may be a simple play or an adaptation of a short story or novel; (2) a radio script which is plausible and feasible within the limitations of…

The purpose of this study is the development of specific suggestions and methodologies for the efficient as well as successful development of creative dramatics activities in the elementary school curriculum. The design for this study was drawn from curriculum objectives and goals identified in "Teaching Agreements for Primary and Intermediate…

Oral interpretation utilizes the self-referencing qualities of language and literature which involves the interpreter as both actor and reader. By "self-referencing" is meant the capacity language has to express not only literal meaning but also, at the same time, the process of realization and of attitudinizing toward this meaning.…

Disadvantaged preschool children directed in the role-enactment of imaginary stories were found to be superior to control children (who did not engage in role playing) on several measures of social and cognitive development. Fantasy play training resulted in a higher incidence of spontaneous sociodramatic play, higher scores on an interpersonal…

Developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project, this curriculum unit on stories is intended for grades one and two. The purpose of the unit is to build in students a foundation for enjoyment of literature. The suggested questions or exercises that deal with the stories are limited to simple comprehension or discussion questions; no attempt is…

The twelve essays (each by a different author) in this volume cover drama in a liberal education, comment on the tragic hero, remarks on "Hamlet" and "Hedda Gabler," notes on music and drama, comment on didactic drama, an examination of "Andre," studies of the Haymarket Theatre, London productions of American plays,…

Developed with the recognition that many playwrights have theater in their blood (e.g., Eugene O'Neill was the son of a famous actor), the three lessons in this package present, through experience, the fundamentals of dramatic structure. These lessons for the beginning playwright focus on elements of dramatic plot, conflicts, and crisis and…