The Little Book of Drama and Performance

Book excerpt: Beginning drama with very young children can be a daunting prospect, but the benefits for children performing to an audience are endless. Developing speaking and listening skills, boosting self-confidence and self-esteem, developing language skills and using expressive arts are all specified as both prime and specific areas of learning in the EYFS 2012. Early Years performances need to be approached in the correct way and include lots of repetitive movements, actions, rhymes, songs and music. They need to be highly interactive, incredibly simple and above all fun for all concerned! This Little Book is a toolbox of techniques and ideas, which can be used within any Early Years drama activity including mime, facial expression and gesture, clapping and rhythms, statues and tableaux, creation and use of props and dressing up.