Drama Therapy: A Fun Path to Boosting Kids' Social Skills
In the realm of early childhood education, fostering socio-emotional skills is crucial. These skills help children express emotions, build relationships, and navigate their environments. A recent scoping review by Frydman and Mayor (2023) sheds light on an innovative approach: school-based drama therapy (SBDT). This blog explores the potential of SBDT to enhance socio-emotional skills in young children and provides actionable insights for practitioners.
Understanding School-Based Drama Therapy
Drama therapy involves the intentional use of drama and theater processes to achieve therapeutic goals. It incorporates play, imaginary engagement, embodiment, and perspective-taking, making it particularly suitable for young children. The review highlights that SBDT can support children who have experienced trauma, are new immigrants, or have developmental disorders like autism or ADHD.
Key Findings and Practice Recommendations
- Use of Metaphor and Play: SBDT uses metaphors to create a safe space for children to explore sensitive socio-emotional content. Practitioners can use role play and projective objects to help children draw parallels between drama and real-life experiences.
- Addressing Adverse Experiences: A trauma-informed framework combined with play allows children to express and process emotions safely. Practitioners should be trained to assess how children's play reflects their inner worlds, especially when impacted by trauma.
- Targeting Specific Populations: SBDT has shown effectiveness in improving interpersonal and cognitive skills in children with ADHD and autism. Structured role play and dramatic projection can enhance working memory, self-regulation, and social awareness.
Policy and Research Recommendations
The review emphasizes the need for ecological integration of SBDT into schools. This includes interdisciplinary collaboration and dedicated spaces for drama therapy sessions. Additionally, a public health approach to addressing trauma through SBDT can provide school-wide benefits.
For research, there's a call for more rigorous empirical studies to establish a strong evidence base for SBDT. Larger sample sizes, detailed intervention protocols, and the involvement of fully credentialed drama therapists are recommended to enhance the credibility and applicability of findings.
Conclusion
School-based drama therapy offers a promising avenue for enhancing socio-emotional skills in young children. By integrating drama therapy into educational settings, practitioners can create engaging and supportive environments that foster children's development. For those interested in exploring this further, the original research paper provides a comprehensive overview of the current evidence and recommendations.
To read the original research paper, please follow this link: A Scoping Review on the Use and Potential of School-Based Drama Therapy to Enhance Socio-emotional Skills in Early Childhood.
