Bring the drama to your read alouds
Drama-based instruction (DBI) is an elaborate term for read-alouds that integrate exaggerated gestures, character expressions, physical movements, acting out the plot, and heightened emotionality – essentially, a live-action rendition of the story being read.
While some of us might naturally infuse DBI into our daily practices with our inherent expressive personalities, it may not come as instinctively to every Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP). Even if you already possess a flair for the dramatic, there's room to refine your skills for effective DBI implementation.
Is the theatrical approach worthwhile?
According to Bernstein et al., a comparison of outcomes in classrooms with and without DBI revealed statistically significant impacts:
Students in the DBI intervention displayed more "embodied actions" in their retell tasks compared to the control group.
Those who incorporated more embodied actions achieved higher free retell scores.
You might be wondering, why go through all the theatrics for a modest boost in free retell scores?
"For preschool-age children, oral narrative skills are key predictors of later literacy achievement, essential components of reading comprehension, along with the ability to decode text."
– Bernstein et al., 2024
Improving children's free retell skills can influence reading comprehension, forming the foundation for most future learning. DBI emerges as an easily applicable strategy to enhance early literacy skills.
The authors are commended for measuring the effects of DBI in real classrooms (no controlled laboratories), directly comparing it with traditional read-alouds. The study focused on Title 1 schools (at least 40% low SES population) with ethnically diverse students, primarily Latine. Among them, 10% were in ECSE, and 28% were bilingual.
In essence, this intervention proved effective even in the dynamic environment of typical pre-K classrooms. While the specific outcomes for ECSE kids weren't detailed, ongoing research with a new grant aims to explore DBI's impact in this population. Additionally, this dynamic reading approach promises more excitement than a conventional, monotonous read-aloud. Most memorable teachers are either the most engaging or the most boring – being memorable for the right reasons is the goal.
So, how can you implement DBI without acting classes?
Choose a book with a central character involved in various actions or emotions.
Begin with an anticipatory set: activate background knowledge, discuss the cover, introduce key vocabulary, and present a recurring social phrase.
Start reading the book following standard pre-K read-aloud strategies, but then introduce dramatic elements. Close the book at a suspenseful point.
Engage the kids in collectively becoming characters, dressing up or adopting aspects of the character.
Continue reading, prompting kids to act out the story.
Narrate their behaviors, emotions, and character observations while they act.
Conclude with a discussion allowing kids to express how the story made them feel through words or physical movements.
For free resources and lesson plans, visit Bernstein and colleagues’ website, offering a story curriculum example. Access all lesson plans by creating a free login. This resource saves you from starting from scratch if this is slightly out of your comfort zone. This approach can be adapted for one-on-one sessions and serves as an excellent push-in/inclusion activity for classroom teachers.
Sources:
Miller, Heidi (2024). Give your read-alouds a flair for the dramatic. The Informed SLP. https://www.theinformedslp.com/review/Give-your-read-alouds-a-flair-for-the-dramatic
