Question: My 3 YO is very quiet and doesn’t talk much, will enrolling in speech and drama programmes help him learn to speak up?

Answer:
Enrolling your child in Speech and Drama classes will give him an opportunity to develop communication skills and the confidence to speak up. We strongly believe that language is ‘caught not taught’ in these preschool years and the more exposure your child has to engaging language- based activities, the greater their ability to communicate with confidence.

A Speech and Drama class should provide a structured, yet safe, environment where your child feels comfortable and is able to explore, using their imagination and creativity.

We know that children are very sensitive to language under the age of six as their brains are primed to absorb the language around them in these early years. In a Speech and Drama class your child will be exposed to a strong language model, the teacher, and a wide variety of activities involving a rich vocabulary, including stories, poems, action rhymes and tongue twisters as well as drama activities.

The more they participate in these activities, the more they grow in confidence; encouraged to think creatively, to take risks, experiment with new found strategies for problem solving, and engage actively with both the teachers and classmates.
 
These drama activities encourage positive collaborations and active exploration. Simultaneously, children have opportunities to explore their individual preferences and talents.  In an atmosphere that is supportive, creative, caring and fun children overcome any fear they may have of being in the public eye.
 
The positive self-esteem your child will develop in a speech and drama class should mean you see them speak up more often and use language expressively.

The Expert:

Sumathi Jayaram
Principal 
Julia Gabriel Centre