Running head: USING DRAMA TO DEVELOP COMPREHENSION

Using Drama to Develop Comprehension in the Content Classroom

Jennifer Blease
Wesleyan College

USING DRAMA TO DEVELOP COMPREHENSION

Abstract

USING DRAMA TO DEVELOP COMPREHENSION

Comprehension: an essential technique required for understanding content area studies. The use
of drama within the classroom allows students to engage themselves within the academic
subjects while building an in-depth awareness of the material they are studying. The purpose of
this research paper is to provide evidence of how drama can be utilized in the content area
classroom to build comprehension. This can be seen within the early childhood classroom, the
middle school setting, and the international school systems. Using drama as a comprehension
strategy is applicable to all students, regardless of disability or background. While performing
the material that is learned within the content area classroom can be assessed through
observation, comprehension may also be checked through journal entries completed by the
students. These forms of assessments can allow teachers to verify how much the students know
and what parts of the content area require elaboration. Although drama is not the only applied
strategy for comprehension, it may provide assistance alongside other strategies used in any
classroom.
Introduction
Incorporating drama within the content areas brings opportunities for unique reading
strategies that provide a way to gain interest in all academia. Although there are many reading
strategies that build on comprehension, incorporating drama is a way to help students become
connected to the content while further encouraging the development of comprehension skills.
According to Jeffery Wilhelm (as cited in Donovan & Pascale, 2012), drama enables students to
take part in a story physically while incorporating both the text and the characters to explore the
worlds of content area studies (p. 113). Through research, there entails evidence that provides
insight and results on the effectiveness of drama in the content area. This analysis of peerreviewed research will entail a select amount of students that help exemplify areas in which

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drama has been introduced or incorporated in order to provide insight of its effectiveness of
developing reading comprehension within the content area classrooms. The categories that these
will be divided into will include the following settings: the primary ages, middle school, and
international.
Drama and Content Area in the Primary Setting
While drama can be quite inclusive for students of all ages, it can be especially beneficial
to start using this strategy at a young age. According to Donna Adomat in the article, Dramas
Potential for Deepening Young Childrens Understandings of Stories (2012), the study of drama
and its link to comprehension learning in the early childhood classroom has not commonly been
researched. She states, Drama requires many of the same language abilities and thinking skills
that are fundamental to reading comprehension (p. 344). Because students must think critically
about the content they are studying in order to act out the information, it enables the students to
comprehend the text once they have dramatized the subject.
In this article, a detailed study was conducted over a seven-month period at a ruralsuburban elementary school. At this institution, there was a balance in the language arts time of
requiring the students to study writing, vocabulary, and reading while still incorporating content
area studies. The students were required to understand the story, as well as develop an in-depth
understanding of the characters in each story. Through role-play activities, the students would
take turns acting out parts of different characters within the story. The children would be required
to consider the feelings that these characters might be experiencing throughout the book. While
understanding the characters feelings throughout the book, the children must also use that
understanding by contemplating how a character would respond in situations that are not specific

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to the book. The students would be required to answer questions in the hot seat while
remaining in character and reacting how the individual in the book would respond (pp. 347-348).
Another method the students used drama to demonstrate their comprehension of the story
was to use an activity called tableaux. The students were to show main points and events within
the story by making pictures with their bodies. The students were able to show the relationships
between characters in the story through this activity. The children could make a comment for
their acting if another student or the teacher unfreezes the picture by tapping on them. This
allowed the children to further explain the character they were acting as, enabling them to
describe feelings from the character based on events in the story (pp. 348-349).
By the end of the seventh month, the students showed a vast improvement of
performance in both reading and writing. All the students developed a greater enjoyment in
reading and understandings books in more complex ways than ever before. About eighty percent
of the students that participated in this study were taken out of the reading support program due
to their significant increase in their academic success in these subject areas (p. 349).
Although this research focused specifically on using childrens literature as the subject
the students incorporated drama with, the methods utilized were not specific to only this form of
literature. The children were able to identify specific themes pertaining to the stories they
focused on, while still finding ways to act out these themes. This required an in-depth
comprehension of the text, much like the need for elaborate understanding of content area
readings (p. 346).
Utilizing different forms of literature, such as plays, can also help in developing
comprehension in the classroom. Another study, as described in the article Shakespeare and
Literacy: A Case Study in a Primary Classroom, shows how students can develop

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comprehension through performing Shakespearian plays (p. 170). Throughout this study, one
Montessori classroom was observed for a three-month time frame. The class studied the play,
Much Ado about Nothing. The students were assigned different roles within the play, and they
were to collectively study both the play and the characters they were assigned. The students were
required to participate in different activities, such as creating a word wall that gave the students
an opportunity to break down different words that are unfamiliar to the children before studying
this play (p. 171).
During the entire project, the students were to keep a journal to write and/or draw what
they have learned throughout their experiences. The journals typically entailed a summary of
what they had studied around that time, as well as predictions of what might happen next in the
story. With each entry, the teacher was able to check for comprehension, as well as clarifying
anything the students were not sure about. The students expressed curiosity of what will happen
in the story while connecting what they have learned to things in their schema (pp. 171-173).
The children in this study retained the information they learned from this strategy. Years
after the research was conducted, the students could still remember the events they used in order
to become fully engaged in both the play itself and the roles they were chosen to study. The
students were able to both comprehend and retain the knowledge they gained from studying this
play (171-173).
While reading a play written by Shakespeare is not completely a content area reading, it
shows that even the most complex texts can be successfully comprehended through drama. The
students were able to find ways to decode the language they were not familiar with while
becoming connected to the content they were focused on. The students could effectively work
through their information they received from the play itself and efficiently act out the parts they

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were assigned. From journaling, the teacher was able to check for comprehension of the material.
This can be applied in the content area by providing both the performance and the journaling
recorded after activities to check for the amount of comprehension that was retained by the
students (pp. 171-173).
Drama and Content Area in the Middle School Setting
While drama can be applied to any content area subject, these activities can be
particularly applied to social studies content knowledge. According to Ronald Morris in the
article Drama and Authentic Assessment in a Social Studies Classroom (2001), students are
able to express an exponential amount of comprehension from acting out parts of history. The
students are able to use these moments to apply and act out what they know based on
background knowledge to comprehend the topics they are studying.
Previous studies had shown that students were able to obtain a higher conceptual
understanding in comparison to classrooms that did not incorporate drama into their curriculum
(p. 41). This research provided fifth grade students with basic pieces of drama that allowed them
to act out historical periods. With even this simple form of drama, the students were able to have
a greater understanding for the material in comparison to students that are exposed to the
commonly used strategies within the social studies classrooms. Because this previously
performed study provided the basis needed to exemplify reasoning for an in-depth research of
drama in this content area, the information in this article is based upon the use of detailed drama
and the utilization of authentic assessment within this setting (pp. 41-42).
The case study from this article included a class of seventh graders who were assigned
projects that required them to dramatize different time periods in history. The students were preassessed in the beginning to write down the information they already knew from the content area

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of ancient societies. The students were then provided with a rubric that described all the
evaluation criteria for this project. The students were to create skits, write essays, and create
visuals to exemplify their understanding of the material (p. 42).
In class discussions, the students were exposed to several other pieces of literature other
than the content area to provide additional details related to the content area they were currently
studying. The students were divided up into small groups first, and then they were to share what
they learned in a whole group discussion. Once the scholars conducted skits pertaining to the
content area, the students would individually write essays to answer questions that were
connected to what they acted out. Students were exposed to different projects that required them
to solve problems related to the time period they are studying (p. 43).
Through performing scenarios from particular time periods, students are able to
comprehend the content they are studying at that time. This form of assessment also enables the
teacher to find what the students have learned through their drama activities. The teacher can
check the students comprehension through tapping into the different intelligences of each
student. The students can create pieces of work based upon what they have learned through their
performance of events in a particular time period. The students are able to both be assessed by
the educator and assess themselves on what they need to work on to provide a better
understanding of the content (p. 43).
While many of these studies focused on the average student, there is a need to consider
those who are not included in this category. In David Katimss and Sandra Harriss article,
Improving the Reading Comprehension of Middle School Students in Inclusive Classrooms
(1997), a study was conducted to focus on the reading comprehension of both average students
and students with learning disabilities (p. 116).

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One group of students, the control group, was required to read expository text and take
multiple choice comprehension tests immediately following the completion of the reading. The
seventh graders included in the Reading Workshop were given the same assessment, but they
were provided with this assessment after they were exposed to the workshop (pp. 117-119).
The experimental group included students that were introduced to various strategies in a
Reading Workshop that was meant to develop reading and comprehension skills in content area
studies. In this workshop, the students were to read the materials that they selected both on their
own and as a group. They were to respond to both pieces of literature while attempting to
comprehend what they have read. Throughout this, the seventh graders were to respond to what
they read through drama activities, written reflections, or verbal responses. The students were
then exposed to small minilessons that focused on specific texts that connected fiction and
nonfiction text to the same content area (pp. 117-119).
By the end of this study, it was determined that all students in the experimental group, on
average, made higher scores on the post assessment in comparison to those within the control
group. The special needs students in the experimental group also performed better than those in
the control group. This is evidence that the Reading Workshop was successful in implementing
new strategies to develop reading comprehension for students across the academic spectrum (pp.
121-123).
Although this research did not only cover the effects of drama within the content
classroom, it shows that strategies that may include drama encourage improvement in the
performance of students. The various strategies incorporated in the Reading Workshop can
encourage multiple ways to use drama within understanding the content. Although this was not
specifically proven within this study, with further research, the Reading Workshop can be broken

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down to have a separate section specifically for the different reading strategies. These strategies
can be periodically assessed to find out which strategies are most effective when compared to
one another.
Drama and Content Area in the International Classroom
From an international perspective, it is important to incorporate play and learning in the
classroom. (Pui-Wah, 2010, p. 69) According to the article, Exploring the Tactfulness of
Implementing Play in the Classroom: A Hong Kong Experience (Pui-Wah, 2010), kindergarten
classrooms in Hong Kong have struggled with finding ways to properly implement effective
learning strategies within the curriculum. With only a few hours per day within the classroom,
there was an uncertainty on how to teach so much for to these young students within the allotted
time frame (pp. 69-72).
In this study, a teacher in Hong Kong was monitored for a year to observe how she could
incorporate play within the classroom. With a desire to determine the effectiveness of play, the
educator worked with her students to find their interests and how to teach them effectively. As
play is not commonly implemented in the classroom, the findings from this article were to be
utilized in order to find ways to effectively apply this strategy to other classrooms (pp. 79-80).
By the end of the year, the students had created a much greater interest in what they were
studying. They were able to conduct new ways to incorporate play and further delve into the
content they were studying. Throughout this time, the teacher became more confident in teaching
these students in this manner. The students were able to study content based on their own
interests while beginning to comprehend the subjects with engaging strategies (pp. 77-80).
While this article does not specifically focus on drama in the content classroom, this
teacher incorporated drama while the students learned through play. The students were able to

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understand the content in more detail when they were allowed to dramatize the behavior and
characteristics of animals (p. 78). As the students found other interests to study, they were able to
incorporate drama in ways to further develop an understanding of the content they were focusing
on. Furthermore, this article exemplifies how drama, while incorporated in diverse classrooms,
can encourage the development of comprehension within the classroom.
Using drama in the classroom, while developing comprehension, may also develop
writing skills that allow the students to discuss the content area in more detail. According to the
article, Becoming the Pioneers: A Process Drama to Encourage Writing (2013), students are
able to become more engaged and interested in writing by using this strategy. Throughout this
study, a classroom in New Zealand built on their writing and comprehension skills through
drama. The students had been rarely exposed to drama before this study, so this concept of
learning through acting was completely new to these children. The students were also not well
experienced in the writing process. The researcher would track the students progress through
writing samples done by the students, observations, motivation charts, and interviews (p. 2).
This eight-day research introduced students to several different activities that introduced
distinct strategies to utilize drama in the classroom. The first day began with the researcher
modeling what the students must do while acting. When introducing the content, New Zealand
history, she provided students with artifacts that would allow them to connect to the past. After
presenting these pieces of history to the students, the teacher assumed the role of a person who
traveled to New Zealand in the 1850s, the time when people began to immigrate to this land.
Some students originally struggled to when trying to understand the teacher had taken the role of
someone else, but they eventually became more comfortable in asking the character specific
questions about her life and the time period (p. 4).

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As the days went by, the teacher would introduce new characters to the students, while
they were provided with roles as well. The children would be split off into two groups, the highclass colonists and the low-class emigrants of England in the 1850s. The students formed
different families within these groups. While the students began to take on their own roles and
play the parts that they were assigned. While the students struggled to get into character at first,
they developed and improved in their performance fairly quickly (pp. 4-7).
While the children took on their new tasks within the classroom, the teacher would focus
on refining the class to assist them in both their skills to perform their parts and developing their
writing skills. Certain days of the study would focus more on improving a particular activity or
writing skill. Although this took extra time out of developing the students content area
knowledge, but it allowed the process of developing these skills to work more effectively (pp. 811).
The class focused on the entire journey for the immigrants, starting with the harsh living
conditions in England to arriving in New Zealand. As time went by, the students gained more
confidence and greatly developed their comprehension skills. The students became fully engaged
and excited about the content area they were studying. While keeping a daily journal that
allowed the students to either reflect on what they have learned or what their character has
experienced, they became more interested in writing. The teacher also found significant
improvements in the childrens writing skills (pp. 4-13).
While this article focuses mainly on dramas influence on writing, it shows how engaged
the students become when given a story. When the teacher or students act out parts of the drama,
the students have to write about what they have talked about during their performance. The
amount students are able to recall through this process implies that students comprehend what

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they are seeing through drama. This may also be applied to the content area. The students are
able to write about what they have learned from what they have acted out. This can be a form of
authentic assessment for teachers when determining what the students have learned through
drama activities (pp. 2-14).
Conclusion
The content area classroom requires multiple strategies in order to encourage and engage
students in developing the skills needed to fully comprehend text. One of these effective
strategies includes utilizing drama within the classroom. Through drama, children become more
engaged within the content they are study while comprehending the subject matter. The
performance of these students increase significantly, and they are able to retain the information
more than ever before. Even though this strategy is not often utilized, it is highly effective across
the curriculum. Students from primary grades to upper grades are able to use these methods
successfully and fluently. Internationally, this strategy proves its implementation powerful and
beneficial in various ways. For all areas of the academic capabilities within students, drama can
help develop comprehension and retention of information for years after the content area was
investigated.

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