Junior Drama
Yr 1-3
Children will explore big ideas and concepts that ignite the imagination and promote deep thinking. Through these big ideas, we investigate movement, mime, vocal skills, role play & characterisation.
Classes are not graded, streamed or competitive and the program is designed to build and extend skills from term to term.
Warm-ups
Every lesson begins with our Drama Circle and some warm ups. Just like athletes, performers need to warm up too, so we use our voice and bodies effectively and safely. Vocal and body warmups get everyone in the mood for some serious fun.
Drama Games
Drama games may seem just like playing (actually, they are! Play-based learning is a powerful mode of learning) but in fact, drama games have specific goals depending on the lesson aim. We may use drama games to:
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Build relationships
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Build trust
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Build energy
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Build concentration and focus
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Introduce a new drama element such as tension, symbol or mood
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Build specific skills like logical thinking, communication
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Build language use and fluency
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Have fun!
Main Lesson
We explore themes through whole class, pair and group work. Every lesson includes:
Making: working with others, brainstorming and problem-solving, experimenting and rehearsing.
Performing: opportunities every week to perform in front of a safe and supportive audience of peers.
Appreciating: reflecting on their own and others’ dramatic work and process.
These outcomes of drama are based on the NSW Creative Arts syllabus and provide the building blocks of every lesson.
Celebrations of Learning
As a skills-based class, we focus more on process than product. Young children often become bored with repetitive rehearsals week after week and it's easy to lose sight of the important skills we are trying to build.
However...it's still great to work towards something, so we hold two Celebrations of Learning a year, where parents are invited to observe and join the class. These aim to be a joyful, enriching experience.