A Case Study of Drama Education Curriculum for Young Children in Early Childhood Programs

Abstract

This is a case study of drama education curriculum for young children taught by a drama specialist. Specifically, to understand unique drama teaching practices employed by a drama specialist, 9-week-long drama programs for one kindergarten and two 1st-grade classes were observed and the drama specialist was interviewed. Regular classroom activities taught by the classroom teachers were also observed to understand drama taught by the non-specialists. The findings indicate that the drama specialist's curriculum highlights specialized drama knowledge and techniques that the classroom teachers do not address in their drama activities. Within a well-defined structure of a lesson composed of warm-up, main activity, and ending segments, children's kinesthetic exploration and representation, as well as expressivity, are emphasized. How the drama specialist's teaching content and methods contribute to children's learning and what is needed for staff development to improve drama education are discussed.