ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to highlight the power of drama in the classroom to develop children’s speaking and listening from foundation stage to the end of Year 6. When visiting schools and working with a wide range of children and teachers, one of my first questions to a new group of children is what aspect of literacy they like best. Where the teaching is lively, creative and involves the teaching of drama the children will unanimously reply ‘drama!’ In other less inspiring classrooms the children may struggle and say ‘spelling’ or ‘handwriting’ or, sadly on one occasion, ‘colouring in’. Children generally love drama but their teachers may be shyer to dive in and try it. Why? Perhaps they are anxious that they may lose control of the children; perhaps they have never experienced drama themselves and lack confidence; perhaps they think it means moving all the furniture; perhaps they just don’t know what they are missing.
