CHILD AND DRAMA ART

Kiril Barbareev

University „Goce Delcev“– Stip

Faculty of Pedagogy – Stip
R. Macedonia
kiril.barbareev@ugd.edu.mk

ABSTRACT

Drama education primarly educates about life and is intend for all the children.
Drama education presents many methods for instruct and leaning which are using the drama expression
as ability of a person who uses them in the process of growing and developing.
Drama education doesn’t have a purpose of a professional deployment with the drama art ,but as a
comlex and integral kind of learning which will help the child in: expressing and developing feelings, abilities,
attitude, fantasy, creating, selfcritical etc.

Key words: drama, child, drama education, drama expression, drama play, scene.

“The child’s best loved and most absorbing

occupation is play. Perhaps we may say that every
child at play behaves like an imaginative writer, in that
he creates a world of his own or, more truly he rearranges
the tnings of his world and orders it in a new way that pleases him better
…Langyage has preserved this relationship between children’s play and
Poetic creation…”plays” – “players” – “

Sigmund Freud

By its nature, human is a homo creator (human-creator). By decent, every human

has a potencial for creation, but with learning and exercise he can develop his creation to its
perfection.
The process of overcoming the creation starts already in preschool period, and it
continues during further education and professional work.1 Its typically for every person to

1
Stevanovic, M (2003). Creating: knowledge of creation: kinder garden-school-university, Digital point,
Rijeka.
create and in different forms. Human creation is not only presented in writing works and
science invention. Creative work exists in different and many realizations in every day life
and work and as like that it is available to every one who will realize the point of creation and
will be prepared to think and work creatively.
Human creates, makes, builds, changes, solve problems, asks, answers, he is never
satisfied with himself, but also with many things around him.
That’s human nature.He is in a continuity action with his main wish to improve his
EGO, to build ABOVE-EGO/ME, not only in a pshycologocal view but also in a material,
spiritual and every other way.
Early childhood is important for the total identity development.
The theories and analysis (Hunt, Bruner, Piage, Ericson, Vigotski etc.) are showing
the meaning of early childhood for the intellectual, emotional, social development and also
the importance of creating organized conditions for that development. 2
At every child individual, advanced legality presents an imperative for the need of
realizing and learning throught the play, interaction, activating in the process of exploring,
discovery and solving different problematic situations with each child involved.
Thus it promotes the need of divergent way of thinking at every individual and that’s
how the integrity is indulged in observing everything that’s around the child.3
The program for education work with preschool aged children in public kinder
gardens specify that the children from this age should sistematicaly and step by step be
introduced with the subject matters of the literacy work-poems, prose and drama text. For
this purpose the educator, as an direct program realizator, uses many teaching methods and
forms - reading, listening recorded text, radio and tv broadcasting,recitation, dramatization,
doll plays, movies etc.
The goal of educational drama is to create an experience through which children may
come to understand human interactions, empathize with other people, and internalize
alternative points of view.
At the earliest age, a child learns language by practice, and drama can create a strong
stimulus for the use and practice of language in a natural and spontaneous environment.
Exploring shows that cognitive develpoment at preschool children is especially
inspired by the simbolic games.4 In the world was found that children who are more included
in simbolic games have better results acording to Piage tests for developing the
thinking,better talking skills and better succes on the tests for creativity.5
According to Freud, the games are tools with wich the children are compensating
frustration6 facing with it every day. The play is a situation free of stress, in that kind of a
situation the children can easy satisfy the need for power and strength. In the play they
become powerful and strong, same as their parents. Main purpose of the play, according to
Freud, is the katarza (relief), valve for releasing the tension.
The spot (place) where the children are free to discover how does it feel to be in a
role of a teacher, doctor, mother, father, king, the place where they can release the tension, the
spot where they can feel the katarza (relief), spot which allows them to discover the roles,
which one day they might accept them as they have learned them in childhood-drama spot.
Drama spot enables the connection between the kinder garden and child’s home, that’s a
reflection of the society and the family in which the child lives, that way it should always be
according the characteristics of the culture and social life.

2
Basics of the program for eduacional work with children from preschool age in public kinder gardens. Ministry
for education and science,Bureau for educational development, Skopje, 2006, page 6
3
Ibid. page .6
4
Charachteric of this game is the use of different symbols.That why this game is called symbolic game or fantasy
game, drama play, fake game. There is a clear scenario for the game and every actor gets a special role. If the game
is unsuccessful, they are in a position to qualify the scenario.
5
Nikoloska, Miroslava (2002), Advance psychology (childhood), Skopje, page 269
6
Freud, S.(1969), Psycholgy analyse induction. Matica srpska, Belgrade.
 According the program for educational work with preschool aged children there is a
plan for a realizing drama activity with exactly defined goals and examples of activities.
The program claims that the purpose of the drama activities is:

- „developing imagination, invention and creation;

- noticing the meaning of non verbal comunicatio;
- releasing of fear, insecurity, internment, tension;
- gaining social experience and awareness for other people by playing their roles in the drama
activities;
- gaining elementary knowledge for drama and theatre art (especially doll theatre and shadow
theatre), meeting the actors;
- cherishing love toward theatre and preparing the child for a good and decent visitor at a
theatre play;
- learning how to use masks and costumes as tools for expression “.7

From the example of activities according the program it is claimed that the child:

- participates in mummer games;

- plays games as roles from life;
- get to know and participates in folk customs which contains presenting, taking roles;
- improvise with scene doll,talks behind mask, wears a costume for a role; -
attends play at doll theatre, table theatre, shadow theatre, drama plays etc;
- seeing drama programs (live or recorded), theatre plays, children program on tv , and after
that they discuss about what have they saw and heard; meets the actors and talks with them.

From part of the program which is presented in this text can be noticed that the value
of the drama art is not only entertaining the audience but also to wake up the moral and
estetical feelings starting from preschool children.
In one simple or more ethical form, spoken on a language that is understandable for
the children, good prepared drama play contains many ethical values as: sence for social
justice, courage, friendship etc.
Drama art has a strong influence on developing children aesthetic feelings and
upbringing the taste.
This comes as a result because the child wants everything that is beautiful.
Since early childhood the child is interested about art and all of it kinds.
That universality of an aesthetic notice has a lot of similarity with the universality of
the children’s aesthetic activities. There isn’t a child that doesn’t want to draw, act, play
ballet, construct or shape, and sing. Every child has a right and opportunity to develop its own
feelings about the beauty and art.
In the realization of the program goals and tasks, the educator makes plans and
chooses the activities for processing the content for drama art.
At the time of planning, the educator starts from the program content of the
education-teaching domain. He makes the choice of activities for using drama art with the
annual work plan, and the schedule of activities with the montly or daily plans.8 However,
considerating the interests, curiosity and the love that the children have toward doll theatre
and scene doll or table theatre,the educator should determine and estimate to which level will
he use drama art.

7
Basics of the program for eduacional work with children from preschool age in public kinder gardens. Ministry
for education and science,Bureau for educational development, Skopje, 2006, page 93.
8
Petrov,N;Ristovska, S; Gavrilska, L; Petrovska, М. (1990). Method guide book for processing drama text by
the verbal culture, Prosvetno delo, Skopje, page 7
 Various and rich use of drama art can be noticed because of its use while realizing all
the activities in different stage of activities which are organized with children in kinder
garden, especially in:
- free activities and free games,
- diverse activities from all educational regions,
- in activities connected with children’s every day life and in other activities –
performances on the occasion of holidays and gala happening,
celebrations, birthdays etc.
The role of the educator in preparing and realizing drama activities in the kinder
garden is huge. From his previous preparation and ability depends how will he be a nice
example of well enunciation and and example of good behaviour, which determines creating
social and emotional connection with the children.
Analysing the situation in the kinder gardens shows that during preparing and
realizing the activities of this kind, educators have problems and they feel unprepared to
realize activities of drama art.
Often people from outside are being hired, usually producers and actors, who will
prepare some activities scheduled in the program.
From another side, we are often witnesses of bad prepared shows and celebrations
done by the educatiors, or shows that are prepared on same way during the entire career of the
educator. (we can notice low creativity and limitated knowledge that the cadre possess at
preparing of one play for the children, or a play realized with the children where the educator
is the producer}.
That’s a sufficient indicator that shows that we need a reinforcement of the
system for a initial training and professional improvement of the educator cadre. Starting
from the National strategy for education in Republic of Macedonia 2005-2015 it is find
that:
„Faculty plans and programs which are preparing educational cadre do not satisfy the
requirements of the contemporary system of education in its entirety. Except in rare
exclusion, education that the educational cadre had is based on the traditional pedagogical
practise. Because of that, there is a need of change at the educational programs and plans on
these faculties also the methods of work which are used during the realization of these plans
and programs“.
In the initial education of pedagogical cadre it is necessary to give a big attention to
the import of many contents in the program which will elaborate drama art much
radically.There is a need of appropriate method preparation, practical preparation which will
be of a big use for the further educators.
The program should train the students so they can learn how to work at a theatre
play, on a way that will alow them to pass through the whole process of creating theatre play,
chosen text, text work, decoding drama text, coreografy, selecting music and costumes.
There are compulsorily subjects in the study program of many European and world
countries which are studing drama art through a few subjects that which can be listened
usually in 2 semester. Compulsorily subjects in the neighbor countries are the following:

- Serbia, (Drama and movement; Visual art);

- Croatia, (Movie, radio and TV culture; Making dolls/puppets and scene
culture ),
- Slovenia,( Doll; Drama; Medium)
- Finland, (Literature and Drama for children).

While creating study programs in thesse counties can be noticed that they are
coordinated with many European countries-members of the European union (Czech, Poland,
Ireland, Finland itc.), also in the United States of America, which presents another strong
argument that our pedagogical faculties have a need to introduce this kind of subjects which
will give contribution in the entire preparation for a good educator.
 With that we will contribute in the enunciation of the pedagogical paradigm of our
education, planning and programming.
According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children
(NAEYC), the early childhood curriculum should address five categories of child
development: social, emotional, physical, cognitive and creative.
Drama can be a highly effective tool for supporting each of these categories, either
naturally or through well – defined objectives.
 Used literacy

1. Nikolin, V; Dražič, B; Stankovič, S; Barič, S. (1965). Uvod u Lutkarstvo, Beograd

2. Petrov, N;Ristovska, S;Gavrilska, L; Petrovska, M(1990). Method guide book for
processing drama text by the verbal culture, Prosvetno delo, Skopje
3. Basics of the program for eduacional work with children from preschool age in public
kinder gardens. Ministry for education and science,Bureau for educational
development, Skopje, 2006
4. Freud, S.(1969), Psycholgy analyse induction. Matica srpska, Belgrade.
5. Nikoloska, Miroslava (2002), Advance psychology (childhood), Skopje
6. Stevanovic, M (2003). Creatology: knowledge of creating: kinder garden -school-
university, Digital point, Rijeka.
7. Ministry for education and science and Bureau for educational development of
Republic of Macedonia. National program for developing education in Republic of
Macedonia 2005-2015,Skopje
8. Qualified study: Raising children in preschool age, Faculty of philosophy <
University in Split, 2005
9. Belgrade university, Учитељски факултет, Education plan – modest for education
in preschool institutions, 2006
10. University in Split, Faculty of philosophy, Qualified study program - Raising
children in preschool age, 2005
11. University Josipa Jurja Strossmayera, Higher teachers school, Three year qualified
study for raising preschool children, Osijek, 2005.
12. Queensland School Curriculum Council, Preschool Curroculum Guidelines, 1998