ABSTRACT
The learning potential of role play with young children is phenomenal. It brings together so many aspects of early learning that we are constantly amazed that it is not used more widely, but those teachers and schools who do use it extensively attest to its value. So, it’s not about teaching literacy versus being creative – it’s about being creative to teach literacy and raise attainment. A school that used the arts, including role play, to raise children’s self-esteem and attitude to learning, found a significant impact on raised attainment. The infant class referred to in the quotation below spent a week working on the book Can’t You Sleep, Little Bear? by Martin Waddell. Role play is not only about the children being in role, but also about the teacher being in role, which was the case identified in the article
below, entitled ‘First I was a bear, then a snail. Now I am an angel . . .’. A failing primary school has been transformed by a method of teaching that focuses on the arts.
