DRAMA AT KEY STAGE 2
Drama becomes much more useful as a teaching tool in Key Stage 2 and the range of subjects and issues that it can explore expand greatly. Drama at Key Stage 2 is not just confined to the end of term production, it can filter into every aspect of classroom life.
Children don’t need to have discrete drama lessons to be able to use drama methods for learning. Although it’s obviously great if some curriculum – and hall – time can be given over to drama, teachers can slip simple drama games and drama methods into everyday learning, for example, asking children to improvise a telephone conversation between two Vikings planning to invade Britain; writing and performing a diary entry for Florence Nightingale; playing the game In the Manner of the Word to learn about adverbs!
Drama will also help with developing vocabulary, language and communication skills and, at Key Stage 2, children are keen to express themselves fully and properly. They will also role play in a much more sophisticated manner, enabling teachers and pupils to explore contexts in a much more focussed way. They should also be able to respond to stimuli well and be self-aware enough to form opinions, to debate, to discuss, to evaluate and to assess their own – and others’ – work constructively.
In Key Stage 2 children will increasingly learn to work both individually and in different group sizes, and will be more willing (and keen!) to present their drama to the rest of the class. They will also be more willing to take an individual role in drama work. Drama at Key Stage 2 is also invaluable in tackling personal, social and emotional issues such as bullying, body image, friendships and relationships, transition to secondary school, and so on.
Many life skills and transferable skills are learnt through drama – listening carefully to instructions; responding appropriately; respecting other opinions; working together; considering and understanding other viewpoints; remembering and reciting; making presentations; speaking clearly and with purpose; empathy, and so on – and this learning, plus an increase in self-confidence, a heightened sense of empathy and a better developed self-awareness, is what makes drama such a fantastic teaching tool at Key Stage 2.
Drama Activities for Key Stage 2
Suggestions for drama activities for Key Stage 2 - drama games, methods and ideas.
Drama Resources for Key Stage 2
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 KS2 children. Other resources can be found elsewhere on this website and in our e‑shop.