LGA3043E Plays and Drama For Young Learners Lecturer: Madam Suguna P. Rajagopal

Group members: Luiza Ann A/P Kumarsir Nur Iman Dayana binti Abd Rahman Nurul Afifah binti Khairman Siti Hajar binti Ab Rahman

Methodology: Initiating the Project

• The foundation of this project: The use of children’s stories to promote literacy development.

• Original stories that emerged out of the children’s own voices in the form of conversations, narratives, dialogues and messages were extended into dramatised scenarios.

• A structured and required the participation of all children, as well as the presence of a teacher.

• The primary challenge for the teacher was to keep the activity as children-centered as possible while at the same time inviting the participation of the entire class.

• Much involved more deliberation and planning on the part of the teacher in order to determine ways in which to get the children interested enough to voluntarily participate.

A small- group activity offered as one of several

activities – child could select from during free play time

It reach the stage- it could be incorporated into the existing curriculum and presented –regularly scheduled activity

in the daily routine.

The steps/procedure for the dramatic play:

• The idea of being able to dramatise one of their own stories, - they could write a story and then create an impromptu ‘play’ and be intimately involved in directing the dramatisation of this ‘play’.

• The teacher had to start with a situation that was more familiar to the children, and then gradually move into the more unfamiliar terrain where their personal narratives – very private- would be acted out in a more public domain.

• She employed a three-phase process in order to achieve this:

(1) She established a comfort level for the children by having them act out popular stories based on the familiar books found on their classroom bookshelves.

(2) The teacher introduced the children to the idea that they could write their own original stories: dictated narratives.

(3) The teacher attempted to synchronise both of these variables and introduce a new activity- connect play-acting and drama to those conceptualised stories.

Clearing the Initial Obstacles

4 observations can be seen: early of the process of introducing & implementing new

project

1. The activity failed to stimulate most of other children.

2. The high degree of teacher direction as the teacher prompted from a published book - led to decreased level in children’s interest and participation.

3. Interest level could not be sustained for long.

4. Children who were not engaged in the actual ‘acting’ – felt disconnected and distanced from the activity.

Ways to deal with these obstacles :-

• Teacher - backtrack a little.

• Moving away from actual acting.

• Focus- try to attract children interest in developing a personal narratives (their own story).

Examples

• Eric’s narrative about his block building.

• Hung Li- collage

• Jenny – drawing.

• Willy – bristle blocks.

The Use of Props

• To enhance the scenes and plots of the stories.

• To determine costumes to be used in the stories.

• To produce the scenery of the stories.

• To symbolise places or events that happened in the stories.

• for

Examples of the use of props

• Costumes

• Painting the scenery

• Easel paintings of trees

• Art work on easel paper

• Discarded cardboard boxes

• Clothes from the classroom dress-up area

Examples of props used in childrens’stories