What does a year of drama class do for kids?

Two studies found that kids who took a year of drama classes got better at social skills and empathy.

The first, from Toronto in 2004, was really about music lessons, and drama was only in it for comparison. It put 144 six-year-olds at random into piano keyboard, singing, drama or no lessons for a school year. Going by their parents' ratings, the drama kids were the only ones who improved in social skills, adaptability and leadership (Schellenberg, Psychological Science, 2004).

The second followed grade schoolers and high school freshmen through a year of acting, art or music classes. Kids in acting grew in empathy at both ages, and the art and music kids didn't show the same gains. The teens in acting also got better at telling what another person was thinking and feeling (Goldstein and Winner, Journal of Cognition and Development, 2012).

Two things to keep in mind. Parents in the Toronto study knew which class their kid was in, and that could color their ratings. In the second study, kids chose acting themselves, so they may have started out different. Neither study looked at any program around here.

Has your kid been in a play yet? What was the role?

We've broken down the places that have theater and drama classes near Southlake.