Drama Through Storytelling: A Practical Approach for the Teacher of Elementary Grades

Jenifer Lepiano was a writer and drama teacher in Toronto.

Drama Through Storytelling is not about storytelling at all. That the authors use stories as sources for drama does not mean they provide insight into the art of telling stories. What they do provide is a practical introduction to drama as a classroom teaching strategy.

The book begins with a helpful summary of the theories of play, drama, and child development. The initiate overwhelmed by the huge, almost mystical claims of drama theorists — drama creates healthier individuals and a more cooperative society — should turn immediately to the excellent bibliography at the back which will direct him or her to the research behind the revelations.

The body of the book is in three parts (K-3, 4-6, 7-8), each one including a short story followed by a set of activities. These may not always seem dramatic; some suggestions following David Kemp’s “King Grumbleton and the Magic Pie” are “Finger-paint the inside of the King’s tummy when he was in pain” and “Make up an exercise schedule for the King” and “Discuss the duties of Queen Elizabeth and the royal family.” It is the context in which the exercises are introduced that makes them drama as well as lessons in art, health, and social studies. Ideally the children will learn through experiencing. This assumes they have been drawn into the story and its conflict in the first plate; presumably the teacher has already developed some effective storytelling techniques. The stories themselves can be substituted endlessly by others and teachers who experiment with the extended activities will quickly develop the knack for generating their own.

There is a section on structural exercises which again have little direct bearing on storytelling but give practical suggestions for introducing drama into the classroom. A plastic wheel tucked into a pocket inside the front leaf is meant to help the teacher select an even wider variety of dramatic activities. Instructions for its use include an Apple II disc programme. It’s all in the cause of spreading the good news of drama.