Storytelling and drama activities

Storytelling and drama activities are very useful for second language learning.

I am going to highlight some activities that I like from “500 Activities for the Primary Classroom”

4.3. Picture book covers

The aims of this activity are: “to use the front and back covers of a picture book to engage children’s interest and attention in a story; to develop visual literacy; to predict a story from the cover.” (Read, 2007)

This is a simple and useful activity we should use each time that we read a book for children in order to motivate them to listen to the story.

In this way, children can develop their imagination and they can also predict what they think the story is going to be about just seeing the title and picture of the cover. We can encourage them to participate asking them some questions like what can you see? Who is the main character? Is it nice?

4.5 Finger stories

The aims of this activity are: “to listen and follow a story doing the actions with your fingers; to develop concentration skills; to develop physical coordination.” (Read, 2007)

I like this activity, specially the example given on the book, “Mr Wiggle and Mr Waggle”

This is a very funny activity which involves children in the storytelling.

Pupils are normally interested in the story and concentrated in following the different movements and sounds of the story.

I show you a video of this activity. You can see children reactions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6kToxNvdP8

4.11 Story circle

The aims of this activity are: “either to listen and retell a familiar story in turns and/or to express your views and opinions about a story; to collaborate and take turns; to respect and value other people’s opinions.” (Read, 2007)

Children will be sitting down in a circle. They take turns to retell a familiar story by passing a ball.

From my point of view this is a good activity for children because it encourages them to use the second language in an easy way. They can tell a story they know with their own words and they can also express their own opinion and feelings about the story.

In this way they improve their skills, speaking and listening, at the same time that they acquire others values such as respect, collaboration or communication.

4.27 Hot seating

The aims of this activity are: “to ask relevant questions to someone playing the role of a character in the story; to think in more depth about a character and story, e.g. by considering moral issues.” (Read, 2007)

For this activity, a child is sitting on a chair. His teacher and partners can ask him some questions about a character from a known story. The child will have to do a role play of that character so he should answer like that character.

This activity supposes a challenge for children and it helps them to encourage their imagination and creativity at the same time that they have to be intelligent to know what the character would answer in different cases.

Bibliography

READ, C. (2007). 500 Activities for the Primary Classroom. Australia: Macmillan.