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 Ages 4-6 The "Speech Bubbles" Program
 A
speech and drama program for children aged 4-6, featuring drama games, phonics,
learning letters, word pronunciation, acting skills and performance.
Where the classes are held (from Term 3):
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The 'Speech' in 'Speech Bubbles':
When children start school, it's
important that they can be understood by their teachers and their peers.
But at the age of 5, many children
don't pronounce their words and sounds correctly. Our "Speech
Bubbles" program has been developed in response to parent requests for
help in counteracting things like pronunciation problems, minor speech defects,
baby-talk, and a general reluctance to communicate verbally. In order to
address these problems, we encourage:
- The correct pronunciation of sounds, through the use of phonic prompts (e.g. a
fish called "Bubbling Barry")
- Speaking in front of the class: some activities require the children to stand
up, describe a picture, offer clues to the class, or express an opinion
- Vocal exercise: some children speak too quietly, others too
loudly - we use games to help them explore their vocal range.
The 'Drama' in 'Speech Bubbles': But "Speech Bubbles" is not
just for kids with speech difficulties! The program aims to introduce children
to the theatrical building blocks they need to move into our higher-level
classes later on (see classes
for ages 7-12). The Speech Bubbles program is is full of:
- Drama games: short games and exercises working on an aspect of movement, voice,
acting or igniting the imagination;
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- Storytelling: guided narratives, in which the children
play the characters, or offer suggestions as to what the characters might do next;
- Puppets: sometimes used by the children, sometimes by the teacher;
- Sound and music: encouraging listening skills and auditory
processing (consider how actors must listen and emotionally respond to one
another on stage or screen);
- Making 'props' -
sometimes we begin with a quick craft activity to make a stage prop or
costume which we use in our play at the end of the class. This helps
children to think about stagecraft and things that are needed in
performance.
- Performance - an
end-of-term performance for family and friends, usually every second term.
Little drama queens
and budding Hugh Jackmans warmly invited to be a part of Speech Bubbles!
Our aim is to develop confident
little communicators who are better equipped to deal with the social and
educational challenges of school and beyond. But more than that - "Speech
Bubbles" is a great way to prepare kids for the big wide world... of
theatre!
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: My child is under 4 years of age. Can he/she join a Speech Bubbles class? No, unfortunately, if your child is under 4 we cannot accommodate him/her in a Speech Bubbles class. We've designed the material so that it is suitable for children who have started or are about to start school. Under-4s generally have difficulty with some of the concepts we teach. Moreover, it is difficult for a teacher to juggle the needs of a three-year-old with those of a nearly-7-year-old in the same class; different approaches to drama teaching are required for each age group. It's advisable to wait till your child is a little older, when he/she will be able to fully participate in class.
Is my child ready for drama? Speech Bubbles is definitely suitable for 5-6 year-olds, and also for some 4-year-olds, but not all 4-year-olds. Some 4-year-olds are very happy in drama class, while others are really too young to enjoy and appreciate the experience. If you have a four-year-old and you are wondering whether he/she is ready for drama class, consider the following: - Does my child know how to be part of a group and listen to a teacher's instructions? This includes things like sitting down with everybody else, singing together, joining in games, following basic instructions, and so on. Some 4-year-olds have not yet had much experience participating in group activities and don't like joining in with others, preferring instead to play their own game in a corner or wander off to look for mum or dad outside the classroom. If this is the case, your child may not be ready to participate in drama class. Of course, we don't expect kids to "have it all together" all the time, but a willingness to participate in group activities is an important aspect of drama class.
- Will I have to wake my child from sleep to come to class? We find that some children who have been woken from a nap in the afternoon aren't feeling great, and consequently are grizzly and reluctant to participate in class afterwards.
- Is my child fully toilet-trained? CADA teachers are not equipped with spare clothes and prefer not to have to stop the class to attend to an accident - since the class is only 45 minutes long, toileting and cleaning up afterwards can bring about an early end to the lesson.
- Is my child intimidated by older/larger children (e.g. boisterous six-year-old boys or squealing five year old girls!)? If your 4-year-old is easily frightened by children larger than themselves, then your child may not enjoy drama class. At times class can be quite noisy and exciting with all those imaginations running wild! - this is all part of the adventure. Drama should be fun, and it's certainly a great vehicle to help shy kids come out of themselves. But a little 'nervousness' is different to fear. The last thing we want is for a child to be fearful and anxious about coming to class because they feel very small compared to the children around them. If your child is on the younger side of 4, and this is an issue for him/her at the moment, it may be too soon to introduce your child to drama class.
If any of these situations sound familiar, we suggest you wait another 3-6 months before enrolling your 4-year-old. Between the ages of 4-5, children develop in leaps and bounds - so sometimes it's only a matter of waiting another term before your child is ready. Your child will enjoy drama class so much more when he/she is truly open to the experience!
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call us on 1300 908 905.
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