Movement & Dance Part 4

Learning. I'm learning! This summer I've spent learning. Learning about how to connect my blog to a bigger world. I still have a lot to learn! Yet my efforts are working!!! Welcome to my slice of the rainbow!! If this is your first visit -- I'm so very thrilled that you've found me, found us!! We're in the midst of an awesome interview with Connie Dow, author of  Redleaf's "One, Two What Can I Do?" and national expert on dance + movement for children. 

Connie is in the midst of sharing her 7 benefits of incorporating dance + movement into the lives of children. (I personally feel these are benefits for the whole of the human species, but we won't split hairs here.) 

Connie, thanks for being so patient with my blogging format. Please continue.

2^nd Benefit: Curriculum Enrichment

"One example of how movement can easily align with the Core strategies is to be found under the Learning and Experiences and Environment category:  Children learn best through play and concrete experiences that are tied to familiar aspects of their world.  Through movement, children can experience a concept in their bodies and learn the concept kinesthetically.  (See the earlier example about learning the concepts of opposites in a game about fidgeting by clicking here.)

Another example from this Learning Experiences and Environment category from the Core Knowledge and Competencies points to the importance of nurturing curiosity, thinking, and problem solving skills.  Movement activities are the perfect forum for imaginative play and individual and group problem-solving tasks

Ohio’s Early Learning Content Standards can also easily be addressed through movement specifically for dance in the ODE Fine Arts Academic Content Standards, one of the benchmarks for Kindergarten is for the children to: 'Invent movement phrases that use the elements of dance, space, time, force, and body.'

Movement time is learning time, and can be used to teach virtually any subject, crossing all learning domains. Movement can supplement another lesson, and can be used in short bursts, in transitions, and in games to get the children settled down for a quieter activity, as well as an entire lesson built around a theme. Simple and inexpensive props, such as streamers, scarves, simple costumes, music and other art forms can be incorporated along with movement."

Tell us more!! Tell us more!!! Go Connie, Go Connie!!

3^rd Benefit:  Physical Development

"Movement development in young children mirrors brain development in infants.  There is a body of work on this subject called Brain Dance, being developed in Seattle by Ann Green Gilbert.  Her basic premise is that through a specific series of simple movements, we can tap into the parts of the brain that are stimulated in the same order and patterns as they were during brain development. Green Gilbert is a proponent of using these movements as a kind of brain/body warm up, one or more times a day, before a test, when children need a break, etc., and as a way to get the brain stimulated and the body moving.

Movement activities can make the learning of motor skills, such as marching, hopping, jumping, galloping, sliding (sideways galloping), and balancing fun and enriching.  And, once the children have mastered a skill, such as marching, you can use the elements of dance (the body, time, space, and energy), to create tasks around that motor skill, which helps reinforce the skill, and taps into the imagination as well. 

Taking the simple movement of marching as an example and using the elements of dance, you can say,  “Can you march backwards, sideways, low, high, in a circle, swinging your arms, could you march with only one foot?  What is that called?  Can you lie on your back and march with your feet?  Your arms?   Can you march making lots of noise with your feet?  Can you march looking like you are making a lot of noise, but being as quiet as a mouse?"

Guided movement fosters total body fitness. Young children are naturally active, but directed movement/dance present opportunities to expand and explore movement possibilities and skills. In addition, physical activity is always part of programs in the fight against obesity, such as the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” initiative.

According to the website of the National Parent Teacher Association, despite mounting evidence that kids need an outlet to blow off steam, learn to interact with others and get the exercise they need, nearly 40 percent of American elementary schools have either eliminated or are considering eliminating recess.

National PTA President Anna Weselak, says “Children who are physically active do better in the classroom. The research tells us that even if it means a reduction in class time, providing more time for physical activity can lead to increased test scores.”

 Whooohoooooo we're on a roll now, give us just one more for today, Connie!!

4^th Benefit:  Social Development:

From NDEO, the National Dance Education Organization:

Movement is a good arena for children to work on problem-solving skills, cooperation and taking turns, listening and understanding, and working together as a group. Dance fosters social encounter, interaction, and cooperation.  Children quickly learn to work within a group dynamic.  Movement is communication, and many children may find movement time as their time to shine."

Wow!!! Are you smiling? I am!!! Thanks for this installation, Connie. Your concluding benefits will be posted tomorrow, in the words of my father, "God willin' and the creek don't rise."

The two of us are working diligently behind the scenes to polish off our NAEYC workshop outline. We only have a 60 minute slot which has the potential to make us a tad bit crazy. Having this conversation in the midst of our planning is a huge benefit to us. Thank you for your participation.

One more thought as I wind up this post. Today as I opened my email I received word that my song/book "Red, White and Blue" was ordered yesterday by these three amazing programs: Congregation for Humanistic Judasim of Fairfield County in Connecticut, The Children's Learning Center of Cartersville, Georgia AND the Imagine-osity Family Home Childcare & Preschool of Decatur, Alabama. Do you realize how thrilling that is? That's a lot of diversity in my inbox!! Makes my heart do leaping and sideways galloping -- known to some as sliding.

Thanks so much to my blogging buddies & mentors for holding my hand as I venture forward into the brave new cyber frontier on the horizon. As a result of all of your nudges & encouragement I have a much wider audience and children from Connecticut to Alabama will benefit. Only in early childhood could you craft a word like Imagine-osity for your business name!!!! [Honest-to-goodness, people I didn't make that word up! I think I need a trip to AL!]

P.S. The pictures of me-in-action in this post were from a library performance in Richland County, Ohio earlier this summer. Who knows how many times I've made the circuit for them? That's a library system that knows how to throw a summer reading program. I had 12 performances in 4 days time!!! 

****Remember, through the entire month of September, all orders of my newly award winning INDIE Award of Excellence picture book, "Red, White and Blue" can receive a 20% savings off the cover price by using the promo code: RWB911 at my website.