Using Drama to Support Literacy: Activities for Children Aged 7 to 14

113 Pages·2006·1.89 MB·English

by  John Goodwin

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Using Drama to Support Literacy
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Using Drama to Support Literacy
Activities for Children Aged 7 to 14
John Goodwin
Paul Chapman Publishing
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© John Goodwin,2006
Illustrations © Chris Walker
First published 2006
Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study,or criticism or review,as
permitted under the Copyright,Designs and Patents Act,1988,this publication may be
reproduced,stored or transmitted in any form,or by any means,only with the prior permission in
writing of the publishers,or in the case of reprographic reproduction,in accordance with the
terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction
ouside those terms should be sent to the publishers.
Paul Chapman Publishing
A SAGE Publications Company
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London EC1Y 1SP
SAGE Publications Inc
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Thousand Oaks,California 91320
SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2005910368
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN-10:1-4129-2050-7 ISBN-13:978-1-4129-2050-6
ISBN-10:1-4129-2051-5 ISBN-13:978-1-4129-2051-3(pbk)
Typeset by Pantek Arts Ltd,Maidstone,Kent
Printed in Great Britain by Cromwell Press Ltd,Trowbridge,Wiltshire
Printed on paper from sustainable resources
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Contents
Foreword vii
Acknowledgements viii
About the author ix
Setting the scene for this book xi
The scope and structure of the book xiii
Introduction:how to use this book 1
What children and teachers say 4
Strategies 5
Caption making 7
Ceremony 8
Conscience alley 9
Costume or prop 11
Dream pictures 12
Forum theatre 14
Hot seating 16
Journeys 17
Meetings 20
Mime 21
Modelling 23
Movement sequences 25
Narrate 27
Role on the wall 29
Sequencing 31
Sound collage 33
Space building 35
Speaking thoughts 37
Still image 38
Teacher in role 41
Thought tracking 42
Trials 44
CONTENTS v
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Lessons in action 45
Literacy 47
The Big Bad Wolf 47
The Spooky House 52
…and the Clock Struck Thirteen 61
The Key 63
The Three Little Pigs 64
Poetry of the First World War:Dulce et Decorum Est 68
Poetry of the First World War:Christmas 1924 70
Goodnight Mr Tom (1) 72
Goodnight Mr Tom (2) 73
PSHE 75
Stealing 75
Bullying 77
History 79
The Second World War:The Blitz 79
The Second World War:History/Literacy/Music 83
RE 88
The Christmas Story 88
Glossary 91
Bibliography 93
Index 95
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Foreword
Effective progress in children’s writing has been an overriding concern
for all primary and secondary schools. Children who find it difficult to
express their thinking in writing are placed at a serious disadvantage
in their educational progress. By contrast, children who write well
and with confidence are able to express and develop their thinking more
effectively.
The key question is, how do we teach more of our children to engage
with writing to do this? The National Literacy Strategy has had a very
positive effect in supporting teachers’ work in the classroom and in
raising standards. But all would agree that the Framework for Teaching
excludes some very important experiences and approaches to the
teaching and development of writing.
The power of drama provides a real context for narrative writing,and in
this book the tool kit of drama strategies has been laid out and used
effectively by teachers across a wider range of imaginary contexts.Using
drama makes possible a vast range of themes and story contexts which
enthuse and hook children into the writing process.The real dilemmas
and feelings in life can all be experienced in the safe world of drama
and story and together these make a perfect vehicle for developing
children’s writing.
Through his effective work in classrooms, John Goodwin shows that
drama strategies provide an essential element in the successful teaching
of writing.The pages of this book give practical support and guidance in
achieving this aim.
Stephen Noon
Headteacher
St Saviour’s Primary School,Isle of Wight
FOREWORD vii
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Acknowledgements
During the last three years the Writing through Drama Programme has
been operating in Isle of Wight primary and middle schools. This
publication has come about as a result of the programme and attempts
to disseminate some of its exciting practice. I’d like to thank the follow-
ing teachers and education staff for all their generous help in providing
support,time,ideas and text:
Kevin Apps, Lorraine Armstrong, Karen Bartlett, Peta East, Amanda
Johnston,Vicki Jones,Helen Lambert,Wendy Mills,Stephen Noon,Karen
Osborn,Denise Stephens,Liz van Wyck,Diane Walsh,Nicky Woodford.
Special thanks to these children for permission to include their work:
John Blake
Rebecca Clawson
Rhea Elliott
Catherine Farmer
Katie Hayles
Sarah Haskin
Georgina Merryweather
Sam Miselbach
Tia Pennant-Lewis
Christie Reed
Jess Rowden
Lucy Smith
Rebecca Woodford
Gold and Platinum classes of St John’s C of E Primary School,Sandown
CE Primary,Isle of Wight
Acknowledgement should also be made of Ros Wilson’s Assessment Criteria.
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About the author
John Goodwin has combined teaching and writing for a number of years.
After teaching drama in a mining community he became Senior Lecturer
at the University of Portsmouth. More recently John has limited his
university work to a part-time post and found more time for his own
writing. He has written over thirty BBC Radio plays and a similar
number of books for children.
Nice One Sam was published by Oxford University Press in 2002
followed by several books for struggling readers for Hodder Livewire,
including the Survivors series in 2005 and Water Eyes and Rock Stars
in 2006. His picture book An Arkful of Animal Stories, exploring the
animal’s view of Noah’s Ark is to be published by Lion Hudson in 2006.
John is presently writing an anthology of Christmas stories which is also
to be published by Lion Hudson in 2007.
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