The uses of classical Greek myth and drama in the education and development of the child with special reference to children aged eleven to thirteen.

In the Introduction the individual's consciousness is placed at the centre of the educational experience. The child's desire to create meaning is argued to be fundamental to the learning process. In Chapter One types of traditional tale are categorised. The similarities are seen as more important than differences and the storyteller as crucial to transmission. In Chapter Two, starting from the Greek civilisation from which they arose, the potential of Greek myths as structures for the development of ethical considerations is argued. A structuralist method of analysis is proposed. In Chapter Three the development of the structure of storylines through a process of storytelling-to-drama is traced within the development of the city-state. The idea of an aesthetic is introduced. In Chapter Four the art of oral storytelling is defined and its value as an educational medium highlighted. The theory of "junctures" is introduced to supplement the structuralist method of analysis of two examples of storyline that follows. In Chapter Five the value of storytelling as a method in educational drama is justified through its presentation of structure for the individual to manipulate in the construction of meaning. In Chapter Six children's work is analysed to show transmission of storyline and the development of aesthetic and ethical awareness through the manipulation of structure. In the Conclusion the implications for Classics, the curriculum and teaching methods are argued. These lie in the value to the individual child of the experiential approach. There are four appendices. The first is a journal describing the creative output of young children. The second is a journal describing the classroom improvisations of children aged eleven to thirteen. The third consists of transcripts and photocopies of dramatic reenactments by children aged eleven to thirteen. The fourth comprises aims of a Classical Studies department and outlines of Greek Storylines.