Is drama in kindergarten a way of improving children’s understanding of emotions?

• Autores: Lisa Sánchez, Sara Creissen, Nathalie Blanc
• Localización: European Journal of Psychology of Education, ISSN-e 1878-5174, ISSN 0256-2928, Vol. 41, Nº 1, 2026
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.1007/s10212-026-01081-6
• Enlaces
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• Resumen

  • With the aim of improving children’s comprehension of emotions, this study explores the effects of preschoolers’ drama practice on their ability to understand stories and especially the protagonists’ emotions. Preschool children (N = 118, aged 3 to 5, 40% girls) took part in the study, divided into two groups: the experimental group, taking part in theatrical practice workshops over 8 weeks, and the control group, not taking part in these workshops. The children’s ability to understand the emotional information embedded in stories was tested twice for the two groups, before and after the practice sessions. By using a task assessing children’s understanding of the protagonists’ emotions, the results showed that those who have practiced drama scored higher than those who had not. This research underscores the value of using innovative creative practices in the kindergarten classroom to sustain socio-emotional development.

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