Why do we want to make use of the dramatic instinct in childhood?
First, because this instinct to _do_, to _act_, to _express_ is so common a part of each child’s mental content upon entering school that it forms part of our previously discussed child brain capital. The instinct to _do_ a story, to give it expression in terms of bodily movement would not be given a child unless it had some value for the educator.
Second, we want to utilize the dramatic instinct of childhood, because it is a very sure way of helping a child to gain _poise_, _self-control_, and a complete _mastery of his environment_. The ability to give adequate expression through speech or action to the mental life characterizes the well-developed individual as opposed to the victim of self-consciousness. It means grace of body and freedom of verbal expression.
What qualities differentiate the dramatic child story from that story which is not as well adaptable for child acting?
Primarily, the story that we select for purposes of dramatization should have the quality of being _visual_--that is, it should be so full of simple, pictorial scenes, episodes and events that it will bring to the minds of the children a definite sequence of word pictures, stimulative to action. This “moving picture” quality is found in the old folk tales, the fables of Æsop and La Fontaine. Here the stage setting of the stories is simple and easily pictured by the child listeners. The story events find an immediate and permanent place in the child’s mind and a possible outlet in action because of their apperceptive quality.
The story of “The Little Red Hen” is an interesting type of the story that lends itself to child dramatizing because of its _visual_ quality. There is a series of home scenes; the little Red Hen’s garden, her house, her kitchen, all familiar and easily seen by children but illuminated with the interest of mystery because of the Hen, herself, and her friends, the Cat and the Frog. “The Elves and the Shoemaker” is also a good story for child acting, while among the most dramatic visual fables are “The Town Mouse and The Country Mouse,” “The Lion and the Mouse,” “The Lark and Her Young Ones” and “The Hare and the Tortoise.”