Speaking and Listening through Drama 7-11 (PDF)

'This book is special. It proposes a style of drama that liberates teachers and children from traditional dialogues...The dramas, each linked to a literacy text or wider theme, are amazing...I would recommend buying this. It challenges, but rewards with a new level of classroom dialogue' -

Literacy Time

'This new book for teachers is timely and full of good ideas. It demonstrates the value of drama as a means of achieving education that stimulates creative and critical thinking while also engaging the emotions' - Teaching Thinking & Creativity

Showing teachers how to use drama to promote speaking and listening for pupils, including those who find learning difficult, this book describes, analyses and teaches how to use role play effectively and looks at how to generate a productive dialogue between teachers and pupils that is both powerful and enabling. The authors present innovative methods for teaching across the curriculum which are genuinely inclusive and can help to motivate reluctant learners.

The 'how to' section of the book describes a range of strategies and approaches:

o how to begin with 'teacher in role'

o how to begin planning drama

o how to generate quality speaking and listening

o how to use drama for inclusion and citizenship

o how to generate empathy in drama

o how to link history and drama

o how to begin using assessment of speaking and listening (and other English skills) through drama

The second section includes full lesson plans that have been tried and tested with pupils, complete with detailed guidance on how to structure the work and how to play the teacher roles. Each is linked to literacy, the wider curriculum, PSHE and citizenship.

The book is a valuable resource for primary teachers in training and in practice.