Teaching Literacy through Drama

This book provides teachers of children at Key Stages 1 and 2 with a much-needed source of exciting and creative drama-based activities, designed to improve literacy. As useful for the drama novice as for the busy literacy co-ordinator, these flexible activities are designed to help teachers meet National Curriculum and National Literacy Strategy (NLS) requirements, particularly through speaking and listening. The book is divided into three parts: Part 1 looks at literacy and the power of drama as a 'brain-friendly' medium for teaching and learning. Part 2 contains ten structured, practical units of work, each based on a different story, poem, play or traditional tale or rhyme and each linked directly to the requirements and objectives of the NLS and the QCA objectives for speaking and listening. Part 3 contains photocopiable Literacy Support Sheets for teachers to use and adapt for their own classroom needs. All units of work have been tried and tested by the authors, giving teachers a springboard from which to enhance and extend their literacy lessons, and engage the imagination of their pupils. The book is also the ideal resource for student teachers.

Patrice Baldwin is an LEA Adviser for the Promotion of Arts in Schools., Kate Fleming is a Senior Lecturer in Drama and English education at the University of Brighton. Both authors are educational scriptwriters for the BBC.

Part I Introduction 1. Drama and Imaginative Role Play 2. Drama as a Creative Teaching and Learning Medium 3. Drama and Literacy 4. Drama and Thinking Skills 5. Drama and ICT 6. Assessment in Drama 7. Drama Strategies and Conventions Part 2 Introduction Unit 1 - Queen of Hearts; Unit 2 - Katie Morag and the Two Grandmothers; Unit 3 - Voices in the Park; Unit 4 - The Last Wolf; Unit 5 - The Man Who Sold his Shadow; Unit 6 - Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters; Unit 7 - Theseus and the Minotaur; Unit 8 - The Lady of Shallot; Unit 9 - The Asrai; Unit 10 - Macbeth Part 3 - Literacy Support Sheets Introduction; Literacy Support Sheets 1 - 11