Speech and Drama brings more opportunities
It is a timeless fact of life: Parents spend countless sleepless nights worrying about the development of their children. The hours put into researching milestones and available programs to meet them, are equivalent to a part-time job with overtime. A small fortune and a lifetime of shuttling and waiting can be spent on classes and enrichment programs for preschool and kindergarten-age children. Many parents want to start preparing for P1 admissions early too. One of the best ways for parents to get the biggest bang for their bucks (and their time), is to enroll their young children in Speech and Drama classes!
Speech and Drama Improves your Communication Skills
Speech and Drama classes give young children the opportunity to experiment with different styles of communication. Communication is arguably one of the most important behaviors of humans. It is how we interact with other humans and the environment. We even communicate with ourselves through self-talk! In speech and drama classes, young children learn the importance of body language and eye contact. They get to “try-out” different styles of expressing themselves and different ways to communicate their ideas to achieve various outcomes. Think of this type of practice like a sport; the more you practice, the better you become at those skills. Speech and drama classes give kids a fun way to practice having different conversations. The more time kids spend practicing communicating, the more prepared they will be to actually have real conversations with others. Young children in speech and drama classes have the opportunity to practice communication skills in simulated situations, better preparing them for use in real-life scenarios.
Boost in Self-Confidence
Let’s face it, we have all experienced some form of stage fright, whether it is actually on stage or simply in a public social setting. Drama and speech classes can help relieve that public anxiety by giving young children a safe space to practice public speaking. Young children can cloak themselves behind different characters to explore personality traits and begin to build upon their own personalities to grow more and more comfortable with who they are as individuals. Children who participate in speech and drama classes are encouraged to embrace their individuality, building on their confidence in themselves. Children who are more confident are less likely to succumb to peer pressure and bullying. Self-confidence is an essential life skill and building it early in young children gives them an advantage.
Developing Empathy, Resilience, and Teamwork
Speech and drama classes are great ways for young children to develop resilience and empathy. As young children rehearse for speech and drama activities, they are practicing putting themselves in the shoes of a character and developing perspectives on life that they would otherwise not consider. They also have a front-row seat to the learning process of the other young actors around them. Team work, positive encouragement, and advocacy for themselves and others are all natural parts of good speech and drama programs. Rehearsal, by nature, requires the process of learning, trying, shaping/developing, and trying again. This process requires a great deal of resilience to keep working and trying until a desired outcome is achieved. The ultimate performance goals in drama and speech programs are typically shared by the entire group, reinforcing teamwork and collaboration to achieve a common goal. Another natural part of this process is giving and receiving constructive criticism, which is an essential skill in growth and development. Young children who develop these skills early can have a head start at employing them in real-life scenarios.
Increased Reading Skills
Young children in speech and drama classes are exposed to scripts and complex texts that serve a real-life purpose. They are required to not only read, but to use the text they are reading to achieve a personal and group objective. This is often difficult to simulate in other settings, but these skills are the building blocks of speech and drama classes. To top that off, these classes are fun, so they don’t seem like a chore to young children. Reading fluency is necessary for learning scripts and developing a character’s voice, thereby naturally reinforcing the acquisition of language skills that are used in all walks of life by every human on the planet. Speech and drama classes are a great way for preschool and early elementary-age children to practice reading for a purpose and grow in their understanding of written language and voice.
Lessons in Life
In short, drama and speech classes are an excellent way for young children to practice essential life skills and gain priceless experiences that reinforce life lessons. They provide a way for young people to role-play scenarios in a fun, meaningful way. Speech and drama classes give young children the opportunity to learn life lessons in safe spaces through simulations that reinforce the lessons without the lasting negative effects of experiencing tough situations. If you are looking to give your child a well-rounded head start to life and academic skills in a fun group setting, check out speech and drama classes in your area!
