Keith, Lindsay

Learning in Role: Drama Influenced Literacy Learning in the Elementary Grades

Keywords: Literacy, drama, student engagement, community building

Abstract

Drama, used within the classroom, has the ability to open the imaginative mind of children to a variety of people, places, and situations that they would not be able to explore within their daily lives. Drama infused literacy learning may be one of the means through which student engagement in literacy learning can be achieved. This research study explores the insights and experiences of two exemplary teachers who have incorporated drama into their literacy program. Some of the questions that are explored relate to how students respond when teachers incorporate drama into classroom instruction and how drama can be used to help students to develop writing and oral communication skills. Analysis of both the related literature and the collected data suggests that drama infused literacy can help students to develop a variety of literacy skills, engage students in literacy learning and build classroom community and risk taking opportunities. The findings also suggest that the implementation of drama infused literacy requires that specific strategies be initiated beforehand and that teachers have positive attitudes towards its use.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my Mom, Dad, Keriann, Mitchel and Dave. Thank you for always encouraging me to be a better teacher and person. I couldn’t have done this without you. Thank you to the members of my research group, Britney Coleman, Sarah Grace, Julie Carette, Celeste Dickson, Niki Roknic, and Meghan Walters, for your ongoing advice and insight into all things literacy. I would like to thank Dr. Clare Kosnik, I don’t know what I would have done without your encouragement and guidance. Additionally I would like to thank my research participants for volunteering their time to speak with me about the wonderful work that they do with drama in their classrooms. You inspired me and showed me what it means to be an extraordinary teacher.