Bringing Books to Life: Using Drama to Engage Children in Reading

Reading doesn’t have to be a quiet activity done at a desk or in a corner.

In fact, when we bring stories to life through drama, we help children experience reading in an entirely new way—one that’s active, imaginative, and deeply engaging.

Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or homeschooler, using drama as part of reading time can boost comprehension, build confidence, and spark a lifelong love of literature.

Here’s how you can use simple drama techniques to boost engagement, comprehension, and the sheer fun of reading.

Using Drama to Engage Children in Reading

Reading stories aloud is a magical part of childhood—but what if we could make that magic even more alive?

By weaving drama into reading time, we invite children to feel the story, move with the characters, and express what they understand.

Whether it’s through pretending, performing, or playing with voices, the drama brings books off the page and into real life.

It turns reading from something children watch or listen to, into something they do.

Bring Characters to Life with Role Play

After reading a page or two, pause and invite children to act out the dialogue or scene as one of the characters.

Encourage them to use different voices, expressions, and gestures. Ask questions like:

“How do you think this character sounds when they’re excited?”
“Can you say that sentence like you’re really tired/silly/angry?”

Role play encourages children to connect emotionally with the story and helps them develop empathy and voice expression.

Act Out Key Scenes

Choose a simple scene and turn it into a mini-performance.

Assign roles, clear a little space, and have fun with it!

The goal isn’t perfect acting—it’s engagement.

You can even add props like hats, scarves, or toys to enhance the drama.

Acting out a scene helps children:

Retell the story in their own words
Sequence events logically
Deepen their understanding of characters and plot

Use Freeze Frames to Explore Emotion

After reading a dramatic moment in a story, call out “Freeze!” and ask children to strike a pose like one of the characters.

Then ask:

“What are you thinking right now?”
“What just happened, and how does your character feel about it?”

This technique helps children practise visualising and inferencing—two key skills in reading comprehension.

Try Hot Seating

“Hot seating” involves putting one child in the role of a character while others ask them questions.

For example, after reading Where the Wild Things Are, a child could sit in the “Max seat” and answer:

“Why did you leave the wild things?”
“What did you miss about home?”

Hot seating develops speaking and listening skills while encouraging deeper thinking about the story and characters.

Create a Mini-Play from a Story

Choose a favourite book or chapter and help children adapt it into a script.

This could involve:

Writing out lines of dialogue
Assigning roles
Narrating parts of the story while others act

This kind of creative project combines reading, writing, and teamwork—and gives children a real sense of ownership over the text.

Start with Drama Warm-Ups

Before reading, try a few quick drama games to get children engaged:

Emotion Statues: Call out an emotion, and kids freeze in a matching pose.
Voice Switch: Read the same line using different tones—whisper, shout, giggle, robot voice, etc.

These playful warm-ups get bodies and voices ready for expressive reading.