Is my pre-schooler ready for drama class?

As kids begin school and preschool, parents start to look around for after-school activities to enhance children's wellbeing. We love it when Drama is top of the list! But sometimes parents are unsure about whether their little one is really ready for all that drama class involves. ​Here are some answers to common questions in relation to our wonderful Speech Bubbles program.

Is my child ready for drama classes?

Speech Bubbles is a program designed to suit 4-5 year-olds, but not all 4-year-olds are ready for it. 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 4-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, and following basic instructions. Some 4-year-olds have not yet had much experience participating in group activities, and don't like joining in with others, or are inclined to want to go and find 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 the group is essential for their enjoyment of the program.

• 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? Perform Australia teachers are not equipped with spare clothes and should not have to stop the class to attend to an accident, nor to take children to the toilet. The class is only 45 minutes long, so toileting and cleaning up afterwards can bring an early end to the lesson for other students. Your child needs to be toilet trained to attend. Plus, we recommend you take your child to the toilet at the venue before the class starts - just to be sure it's all taken care of for the next 45 minutes!

• Is my child intimidated by older/larger children (e.g. boisterous nearly six-year-old boys or squealing five-year-old girls)? At times class can be quite noisy, for instance, if everyone in the class is pretending to be a flock of cockatoos! If your 4-year-old is easily frightened by children larger or noisier than themselves, your child may not enjoy drama class. The last thing we want is for a child to be fearful about coming to class, if they feel very small compared to the other children around them. Most children are fine with a bit of noise and activity - that's all part of the fun! - so just think about your child's individual personality and how they might go in this environment.

• My child is under 4 years of age. Can he/she join a Speech Bubbles class? No, unfortunately your child needs to wait till age four to start a Speech Bubbles class. We've designed the material so that it is suitable for children who have started or are soon to start school. Under-4s tend to have difficulty with some of the concepts we teach, simply due to their developmental stage. Moreover, it is difficult for a teacher to juggle the learning needs of a 3-year-old with those of a nearly 6-year-old in the same short 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 very quickly - so sometimes it's only 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 about your child's suitability, please don't hesitate to call us on 1300 908 905.