Literacy Meets Role Play in Year 1
Drama + Literacy = Imagination in action!
This term, Year 1 classrooms have been vibrant spaces for imaginative exploration. As part of Literacy learning, students are exploring the book Lila and the Secret of Rain by David Conway and Jude Daly, using Drama to investigate characters, setting and language in active and meaningful ways. Working collaboratively with Ms Alexa Nicholson, our Primary Drama teacher, we are introducing approaches that give children the chance to step inside the story, not just read it!
Before diving into the story, the children learned more about Kenya, discovering that people live in many different places and ways across the country — from big cities like Nairobi to small rural villages like Lila’s. They used this knowledge to ask questions and create fact files about Kenya. The children were then thrilled to visit Lila’s village, the setting of the story, using role play to bring the story to life. Drama sparked curiosity, deepened understanding and gave children meaningful experiences to draw upon as they talk and write about the story.
These shared experiences are now feeding into diary writing, where children are choosing ambitious vocabulary and expressing their ideas with growing independence. It has been brilliant to see how drama is unlocking imagination and confidence, helping our young writers bring their ideas to life on the page.
