AP23 Duffy

This paper describes a research project in South Carolina – a rural, southeastern state within the United States. The research investigates the impacts of a twelve-week drama intervention on nine-year-old students (third grade) who have been identified through standardized testing as struggling readers. Actor-teachers were brought in to collaborate with classroom teachers in schools identified as having the lowest reading test scores in the state. The actor teachers did drama work with the students two to three times a week and explored concepts such as plot, narrative, character, conflict, dialogue, and play with the students. Students’ reading scores were compared with control classrooms that shared comparable demographic, economic, reading score data and used the same reading curriculum. Pre and post-drama intervention data was compared with pre and post data from control students. The results are conclusive and statistically significant. Targeted drama interventions improved students reading scores across all demographic variables.