Purpose: This study examined preschool teachers' fidelity to the language-focused curriculum (LFC; B. Bunce, 1995), a comprehensive classroom curriculum designed to improve at-risk children's language outcomes through targeted improvements to a classroom's activity contexts (e.g., dramatic play, art, storybook reading) and instructional processes…

This article reports the findings of a research project that saw researchers from interaction design and drama education come together with a group of eleven and twelve year olds to investigate the current and future complementarity of computers and live classroom drama. The project was part of a pilot feasibility study commissioned by the…

In the current age of academic rigor, standards and accountability, the fostering of caring relationships in the classroom may not always be a priority. Expressing care for another person is a skill that can be taught and nurtured through a supportive educational environment. Sociodrama encourages each of its participants to develop…

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,…

This resource book is based on the premise that dramatic play, or creative dramatics, should be an integral part of the language arts curriculum and that the child himself is a principal resource for material. The first chapter presents a philosophy of creative dramatics based on what the experience can provide to a child. The second chapter…

This is a case study of drama education curriculum for young children taught by a drama specialist. Specifically, to understand unique drama teaching practices employed by a drama specialist, 9-week-long drama programs for one kindergarten and two 1st-grade classes were observed and the drama specialist was interviewed. Regular classroom…

Creative dramatics (the spontaneous expression of feelings and ideas in an imaginative manner) brightens the reading program and provides teachers and students with both enjoyable and academically profitable experiences. Any reading teacher can comfortably integrate creative dramatics into the basal reading program. Activities such as creating…

One dramatic technique to aid students in their discovery of values and value systems is "theatre-in-education" (TIE), a theatre event that takes place in schools, with actors working through roles for and with children. TIE aims to fuse education and theatre by having team members function as both teachers and actors, and the audiences of young…

With the development of educational drama and the popularization of differing drama theorists, an uneasiness has developed in teachers' minds concerning the relationship between drama and theatre. This uneasiness is manifested by the polarization of opinion as to whether the focus of drama should be an orientation towards process or product. It…

The functional theories of James Britton and M.A.K. Halliday are compatible in that they both (1) view language use as functional and situationally determined; (2) recognize a developmental process that involves learning the rules of use of the mature functions; (3) recognize a participatory role of language for doing and a spectatorial role for…

This teacher guide, intended for teen-age educational settings, explores the possibilities of "spontaneous drama" which incorporates acting techniques to evoke the life experience of the student and to encourage self-revelation in a safe and accepting atmosphere. Primarily designed for use in Christian education, but with application to literature…

Discussions in this journal focus on the teaching of speech communication and drama in the secondary-level classroom. "Creative Drama in the Secondary Classroom" provides suggestions for incorporating beginning, lyric, and "human" drama into the secondary-level curriculum. "Student-Centered Teaching: A Desire for…

If a recreation program is to serve all the children in a community, creative alternatives must be provided for the children interested in both people and activity, yet disinterested in competitive sports. (MM)

Cites studies and three illustrative cases showing benefits to a reading program which can be derived from creative dramatics activities. Discusses materials and supplies, physical arrangement and management techniques for a creative dramatics learning center. (BR)

Ways in which creative dialogue fosters the development of creativity through expressive language and motor movements are described. Procedures are outlined for generating creative dialogue with children ages 3-5 through the observation component (observing, interviewing, transcribing), and with children ages 6-8 through the language development…