Drama

I remember the TV show, Garfield Goose. I would sit in front of the TV watching the hand held puppets, as I was facinated with the clicking of Garfield's mouth. Moreover, there were the sophisticated string puppets from the __Sound of Music__. I appreciated the manner of communication, and the movement of the animation as the characters told their story. Furthermore, school children love to pretend, and the actual drama can be informal, for that is how they learn. When I taught kindergarten I loved watching the children play, as they developed their own world of imagination. Drama is especially important for the ELL student because the activities include communicationg. For example, the students can introduce their handmade masks and puppets. Additional advantages include enriching their oral language and listening skills, plus drama adds a positive connection to the class, as well as spontaneous use of language. Lastly, drama can include creative movement, improvisation, and story telling, also there are several types of puppets such as: mouth, sock, paper, yarn, and masks.

Why use drama games or theatre games in your teaching? They are a simple, cost-effective way of accomplishing a wide variety of educational goals, not just in theatre class. The games combine elements of creative drama, improvisation, pantomime, creative movement, and storytelling. They develop foundational skills needed in theatre arts that also have tremendous positive effects on literacy development, academic success, and social interaction. The games are easy to integrate with content from other school subjects or content areas. The drama game or theatre game is a versatile teaching tool that reaches multiple learning styles, content areas, age groups, and levels of language and experience Drama and the ELL student
 * Introduction**

** Mission ** Drama Education Network's mission is to spread the magic of [|drama education] to inspire children of all ages and transform the art of teaching. We promote the understanding of drama techniques and their profoundly positive impact on a student's social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development.

Drama