Big Ideas from Little Characters: How Does the Dramatization of Children’s Literature Embody the Value of Education

Abstract

The dramatization of children’s literature, as an important carrier of educational innovation, has emerged in response to the global demand for transforming education from knowledge spoon-feeding to whole-person education. This approach aims to cultivate children’s multidimensional cognition from a diversified perspective through stage art, addressing three main challenges in the use of children’s literature in primary English education, namely, the isolation of language learning from literary experience, the overemphasis on moral philosophy, and the narrow selection of teaching materials. This study proposes an innovative dramatization teaching method by utilizing a three-dimensional framework of “Text-Dramatization-Cognition” and conducting a case analysis of three classic works: “The Owl and the Pussy-Cat,” Charlotte’s Web, and “The Little Mermaid.” Firstly, in the textual dimension, dramatization breaks the limitations of adult perspectives and gives children the subjectivity to appreciate literature. Secondly, in the dramatization dimension, dramatization transforms static texts into dynamic experiences and stimulates children’s subjective interpretations through interactive reading, “Hot Seating,” and “Image theatre.” Lastly, in the cognitive dimension, dramatization fosters diversified perspectives, developing children’s abilities of figurative and abstract thinking, and builds up the connection between the individual and society. This study not only enriches interdisciplinary research on children’s literature and drama education but also provides dramatization teaching methods for children’s literature educators, confirming that the dramatization of children’s literature is a key medium for integrating educational development and social change.