Drama Workshop activities that will be implemented during field experience:

 

Many game and activities done during the workshop can be implemented in the 0-3 years field experience. These activities will require some adjustment to suit the appropriate age group to gain the attention and interest of younger children. Warming up with drama games and strategies can also be a useful starting point for creating a trusting classroom community (Gibson & Ewing, 2011), it will also be an effective way to introduce myself to the young children and get to know who they are.

Man Overboard: This is a game that can be taught to children between the ages of 2-3. The teacher calls out a different command and will also have to act it out (to suite the age group). The children then have to perform the action. The commands are: Captain (salute), scrub the deck (jump down on all fours), climb the mast(ladder climbing action), dinner time (eating dinner), man over board, ship on the horizon (pointing in the distance), crow’s nest (look in the distance).

EYLF Outcome 3: combine gross and fine motor movement and balance to achieve increasingly complex paterns of activitiy including creative movment and drama.

Creating a monster: This is a great game that will excite children and get them moving. This game can be implemented into the toddler – 3 year old age groups. Children start at the feet and move up their body. They shake their legs, twist their arm, strong fingers and make a scary face.

Character walks: Character walks can work with children between 15 month to 3 years age group. For the younger grades a character walk would be simplified, for example, walking like a dinosaur. For old children in the 3 year age group, using a character from a book such as Hair Maclary. Using different props and resources around the room can help this activity come alive. Because of the young age group on field experience, I will need to be very animated in my movements. Books such as Hairy Maclary call for new characters to be added that the children can also act out.  (EYLF: Outcome 1 explore aspects of identity through role play )

 These particular activities were selected from the workshop because they are activities that can be differentiated to suite the age level for the children in the current field experience. Story building and drama provide countless opportunities for children to construct knowledge (Woodward and Mair, 2012).  Because there is no ‘wrong way’ in doing these activities, young children can build their confidence (Joanne Smith, 2012) as well as illustrate different forms of expression.

Elements of these activities are reflected the Earlys years of the Queensland Arts Syllabus: Students explore ideas, feelings and experiences by collaborating in a wide range of activities such as dramatic play, roleplay, improvisation and playbuilding (2002, p. 15).

 

Rules:

 

During the workshops our tutor Jo explained the importance of setting rules and expectations when working with young children. The follow strategies will be useful when implementing dramatic activities in field experience.

 

Drama Resource for Field Experience:

 

After learning the importance of story building in drama and the benefits it has to young children’s learning, I am going to implement this experience into my field experience using the following resource:

This story will be a great aide and precursor for a character walk. The book explores different settings, characters, tension, mood and time (Smith, 2013). Although the children in this field experience are very young, these are all elements of drama that they can be involved in with the help of this story book.  This book also calls for an adventure!
(EYLF: Outcome 1, explore and engage with social and physical environments play)Before going on the character walk, I will read the story to the young children. Below are some strategies learnt in the workshop that can assist with story reading.

 

 

Links to the EYLF

One of the core values stated in the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) is that play provides opportunities for children to  learn as the discover, create, improvise and imagine (DEEWR, 2009. p.14)
Outcome 1: Children have a strong sense of Identity

- confidently explore and engage with social and physical environments through   relationships and play

- explore aspects of identity through role play

- explore different identities and points of view in dramatic play
Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
- combine gross and fine motor movement and balance to achieve increasingly complex paterns of activitiy including creative movment and drama.