These days, the process of growing up has so many challenges for children. Participating in theatre classes can provide an escape or release from these everyday pressures. Drama isn’t just for those children who are already a ‘Drama King or Queen’. Yes, it is a great outlet for these children to express their creative ideas and talents but it also benefits those children who might be shy about raising their hand in class or putting their opinion forward. Drama can benefit a child’s development in many ways and here’s just a few of them:
1. Drama develops Creative Thinking: Through the development of the imagination, drama allows kids to think creatively. Thinking innovatively is a life-long skill and benefits all parts of their lives. Children who are able to think creatively often become the entrepreneurs of the future and leaders in industry – as they have the ability to invent solutions and create something where yesterday there was nothing.
2. Drama builds Confidence and Self-Esteem: Drama gives children a way to build their confidence and self-esteem within a fun and empowering learning environment whereby they can work towards achievable personal goals while leaving their particular shyness and fears behind. Children obtain self-assurance by understanding there is no ultimate answer within drama and that their own personal point of view, as well as their own contribution, is very important.
3. Drama supports Literacy and Numeracy Skills: Drama is a wonderful way for children to interact with, and interpret literature, or text of any sort, even their own. By memorising a scripted play or devising their own creative story, drama allows kids to analyse how a character’s personality and actions influence a storyline. In doing so they practice many of the higher order thinking skills in a playful context. They must think critically, apply knowledge to new situations, analyze, solve problems, make decisions, – all skills that will benefit not just their literacy and numeracy work, but every core subject at school.
4. Drama promotes a ‘Get Up and Go’ attitude: Drama pushes the 'get up and go' back into recreation. Children have the chance to connect with other people in a more worthwhile way because drama encourages spoken communication advancement, recognition regarding body language as well as enabling the child to become a lot more socially aware.
5. Drama helps develop Language and Communication Skills: Drama allows children to explore their own facial expressions and apply them to different scenarios and characters. They also experiment with their vocal abilities through voice training and specific body movements to get their character’s message across to its audience; habits which transfer into their normal everyday lives.
6. Drama develops Emotional Intelligence: By participating in drama, children can transport themselves into the hearts, minds, bodies and stories of other characters. In this way, deeper levels in the understanding of others can be reached. We learn tolerance by walking a mile in another’s shoes, and drama is a way to do that.
7. Drama encourages children to learn how to co-operate with others: In our rush to have children acquire academic learning, we often forget their personal and social development. The emphasis in drama is on being a team member and working collaboratively rather than hogging the limelight. Drama students learn to be active, reflective, flexible, responsible and responsive within a team – all skills that will benefit them in every facet of their lives.
8. Drama helps children understand the world around them: Through drama games and activities, children are introduced to a variety of real and imagined situations. This in turn sparks their interest in the world in which they live and making them more inquisitive citizens.
9. Drama nurtures Friendship: By its very nature drama has the ability to create strong lifelong friendships with children as they laugh, learn and grow together week after week after week!
10. Drama is Fun: It’s important to have a place where children can be creative, silly, and use their imagination, body and voice all at once, it might be just what they need.
Whether your child decides to pursue an acting career or not the lessons learned through drama last a lifetime.
1. Drama develops Creative Thinking: Through the development of the imagination, drama allows kids to think creatively. Thinking innovatively is a life-long skill and benefits all parts of their lives. Children who are able to think creatively often become the entrepreneurs of the future and leaders in industry – as they have the ability to invent solutions and create something where yesterday there was nothing.
2. Drama builds Confidence and Self-Esteem: Drama gives children a way to build their confidence and self-esteem within a fun and empowering learning environment whereby they can work towards achievable personal goals while leaving their particular shyness and fears behind. Children obtain self-assurance by understanding there is no ultimate answer within drama and that their own personal point of view, as well as their own contribution, is very important.
3. Drama supports Literacy and Numeracy Skills: Drama is a wonderful way for children to interact with, and interpret literature, or text of any sort, even their own. By memorising a scripted play or devising their own creative story, drama allows kids to analyse how a character’s personality and actions influence a storyline. In doing so they practice many of the higher order thinking skills in a playful context. They must think critically, apply knowledge to new situations, analyze, solve problems, make decisions, – all skills that will benefit not just their literacy and numeracy work, but every core subject at school.
4. Drama promotes a ‘Get Up and Go’ attitude: Drama pushes the 'get up and go' back into recreation. Children have the chance to connect with other people in a more worthwhile way because drama encourages spoken communication advancement, recognition regarding body language as well as enabling the child to become a lot more socially aware.
5. Drama helps develop Language and Communication Skills: Drama allows children to explore their own facial expressions and apply them to different scenarios and characters. They also experiment with their vocal abilities through voice training and specific body movements to get their character’s message across to its audience; habits which transfer into their normal everyday lives.
6. Drama develops Emotional Intelligence: By participating in drama, children can transport themselves into the hearts, minds, bodies and stories of other characters. In this way, deeper levels in the understanding of others can be reached. We learn tolerance by walking a mile in another’s shoes, and drama is a way to do that.
7. Drama encourages children to learn how to co-operate with others: In our rush to have children acquire academic learning, we often forget their personal and social development. The emphasis in drama is on being a team member and working collaboratively rather than hogging the limelight. Drama students learn to be active, reflective, flexible, responsible and responsive within a team – all skills that will benefit them in every facet of their lives.
8. Drama helps children understand the world around them: Through drama games and activities, children are introduced to a variety of real and imagined situations. This in turn sparks their interest in the world in which they live and making them more inquisitive citizens.
9. Drama nurtures Friendship: By its very nature drama has the ability to create strong lifelong friendships with children as they laugh, learn and grow together week after week after week!
10. Drama is Fun: It’s important to have a place where children can be creative, silly, and use their imagination, body and voice all at once, it might be just what they need.
Whether your child decides to pursue an acting career or not the lessons learned through drama last a lifetime.