DRAMA AT KEY STAGE 1
Drama is an ideal subject for young children to experience and, at Key Stage 1, it is invaluable as a means for developing communication skills, encouraging positive social interaction, increasing physical control and teaching children how to listen and respond appropriately.
The sharp learning curve experienced by children as they enter Year 1 can sometimes be bewildering, but simple drama games and exercises can support their learning in an enjoyable way. It is essential, for example, that children at this stage of their development learn to listen and respond to instructions and many drama games contain this element of learning as an implicit part of the activities.
Children of five and six also recognise and respond to familiar, or traditional stories and these can be extremely useful if used as a stimulus for drama in the classroom. In Year 1 children work best in pairs or in a whole group setting. They will happily improvise, or act out, stories and poems as a whole group and love to perform whole group mimes or dramatic movement pieces.
Many life skills and transferable skills are learnt through drama – listening carefully to instructions; responding appropriately; respecting other opinions; working together; considering other viewpoints; making presentations; speaking clearly and with purpose, and so on – and this learning, plus an increase in self-confidence and self-awareness, is what makes drama such a fantastic teaching tool at Key Stage 1.
Drama Activities for Key Stage 1
Suggestions for drama activities for Key Stage 1 - drama games, methods and ideas
Drama Resources for Key Stage 1
Arts On The Move offers some great lesson plans, drama packs, schemes of work and other teaching resources. Here we’ve listed some resources that are particularly suitable for use with KS1 children. Other resources can be found elsewhere on this website and in our e-shop.