Movement And Dance In Young Children S Lives

In the pedagogical landscape of early childhood, physical movement is central to the holistic development of young children. Yet, movement-related experiences and other bodily activities such as play and dance often present contradictions and conundrums for early childhood educators. As a mode of learning, movement has endured a questionable existence despite the evidence of supportive research and theory, which provides sound reasons for the inclusion of movement in early years curricula. Movement and Dance in Young Children's Lives looks at the place of movement in young children's lives and addresses how movement as a form of expression can become dance, thus displacing a reliance on linguistic modes of expression and honoring the agency of the body. It also discusses a variety of concerns and confusions that accompany dance in education, and interprets what this means to students and teachers in teacher education programs and early childhood settings.

`This original and fascinating approach to children′s movement development is highly recommended reading for tutors, practitioner and students alike′ - Under Five `Movement and Dance in Early Childhood offers a clear and accessible entry into the world of movement and dance and the possibilities that exist for children, their families and the wider educational community′ - Every Child `Eminently readable and accessible. Whether the reader is versed in movement understanding or a beginner, by the end of the book they should be a much better movement observer, teacher and handler′ - Marion North, Principal and Chief Executive, Laban Centre for Movement and Dance In this unique and innovative book on movement and dance development from birth to eight years, the author draws on her depth of knowledge and practical experience in helping children to become skilled, creative and imaginative in a wide range of movement-oriented activities. The book seeks to help early childhood educators and parents in very practical ways and provides guidance based on a sound theoretical understanding. Originally published as Helping Children Learn Through a Movement Perspective, this book has been updated in the light of recent research. The author extends her investigation of how young children learn in and through movement. There is an expanded chapter on dance, which suggests strategies for working with young children and examines ways in which young children take on the roles of dance-makers, performers and appreciators. An additional chapter shows ways in which the expressive and artistic aspects of children′s movement can be appropriately located and includes exemplars for dance at Key Stage 1 and the early phases of Key Stage 2.

The purpose of the book is to help teachers develop an understanding of dance in the preschool setting, sense when dance can be a natural extension of classroom activity, and develop skill in planning and leading meaningful dance experiences. The first chapter of this book discusses what dance in preschool education is about and its importance for young children. In the second chapter, the content of movement is presented; these elements are the building blocks from which dance activities are created and provide reference points for developing ideas into class activities. The third chapter discusses general preparation for dance activities, and chapter 4 offers a step-by-step description of the process of developing an idea into a class session. Chapters 5 and 6 discuss the reality of teaching a dance class, and the final two chapters give suggestions for adapting material to particular groups--the very young, the handicapped, and parent-child groups. The appendixes include resources and strategies for recorded music, ideas for use in lessons, children's literature, sample original stories, sample lesson on a specific movement theme: curved and angular lines, and suggested resources for further reading. (JD)

`This original and fascinating approach to children′s movement development is highly recommended reading for tutors, practitioner and students alike′ - Under Five `Movement and Dance in Early Childhood offers a clear and accessible entry into the world of movement and dance and the possibilities that exist for children, their families and the wider educational community′ - Every Child `Eminently readable and accessible. Whether the reader is versed in movement understanding or a beginner, by the end of the book they should be a much better movement observer, teacher and handler′ - Marion North, Principal and Chief Executive, Laban Centre for Movement and Dance In this unique and innovative book on movement and dance development from birth to eight years, the author draws on her depth of knowledge and practical experience in helping children to become skilled, creative and imaginative in a wide range of movement-oriented activities. The book seeks to help early childhood educators and parents in very practical ways and provides guidance based on a sound theoretical understanding. Originally published as Helping Children Learn Through a Movement Perspective, this book has been updated in the light of recent research. The author extends her investigation of how young children learn in and through movement. There is an expanded chapter on dance, which suggests strategies for working with young children and examines ways in which young children take on the roles of dance-makers, performers and appreciators. An additional chapter shows ways in which the expressive and artistic aspects of children′s movement can be appropriately located and includes exemplars for dance at Key Stage 1 and the early phases of Key Stage 2.

The creation of a professional therapist and former dancer, Danceplay brings to parents a new and wonderful way for interacting with their very young children--even before verbal exchange has fully begun. Designed for eighteen-month--to four-year-olds--and their mothers and fathers--it is a stimulating approach to fostering a child's social and intellectual growth through creative physical play. The exercises, based on the insights and knowledge of developmental psychologists, progress from simple movements suitable for the eighteen-month-old, to sequences involving complex ideas and actions for the four-year-old. Levell One begins with stretching adn limbering and gradually moves to an exploration of the body and its parts. In Level Two the child learns to distinguish self from environment through a variety of danceplays. And the focus of Level Three is integration, as games, music, and movement develop the ability to percieve a situation as a complex experience. Touching is emphasized throughout, and the fun and sharing add immeasurably to the everyday interaction between parent and child. Charming line drawings illustrate an easy-to-follow text, and necessary equipment is limited to simple household items. It is difficult to imagine an easier, more pleasurable way to help your child develop as he or she grows.

Recently, a new understanding of creative thought and creative performance has surfaced. It has also attracted the attention of early childhood professional organizations and researchers. Professional organizations have included it in their publications and conferences. While current creativity researchers have initiated a far more sophisticated understanding of young children’s creative thinking, ways to assess creativity, strategies to promote creativity, and research methodologies. The purpose of this volume is to present a wide range of different theories and areas in the study of creativity to help researchers and theorists work toward the development of different perspectives on creativity with young children. It focuses on critical analyses and reviews of the literature on topics related to creativity research, development, theories, and practices. It will serve as a reference for early childhood education researchers, scholars, academics, general educators, teacher educators, teachers, graduate students, and scientists to stimulate further “dialogue” on ways to enhance creativity. The chapters are of high quality and provide scholarly analyses of research studies that capture the full range of approaches to the study of creativity --- behavioral, clinical, cognitive, cross-cultural, developmental, educational, genetic, organizational, psychoanalytic, psychometric, and social. Interdisciplinary research is also included, as is research within specific domains such as art and science, as well as on critical issues (e.g., aesthetics, genius, imagery, imagination, insight, intuition, metaphor, play, problem finding and solving). Thus, it offers critical analyses on reviews of research in a form that are useful to early childhood researchers, scholars, educators, and graduate students. It also places the current research in its historical context. The volume is also of interest to the general readers who are interested in the young children’s creativity. The chapters are authored by established scholars in the field of young children’s creativity.

Fun, accessible movement activities for teachers and childcare providers to use with preschoolers.

Dance has the power to change the lives of young people. It is a force in shaping identity, affirming culture and exploring heritage in an increasingly borderless world. Creative and empowering pedagogies are driving curriculum development worldwide where the movement of peoples and cultures generates new challenges and possibilities for dance education in multiple contexts. In Dance Education around the World: Perspectives on Dance, Young People and Change, writers across the globe come together to reflect, comment on and share their expertise and experiences. The settings are drawn from a spectrum of countries with contributions from Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Asia, the Pacific and Africa giving insights and fresh perspectives into contrasting ideas, philosophies and approaches to dance education from Egypt to Ghana, Brazil to Finland, Jamaica to the Netherlands, the UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand and more. This volume offers chapters and narratives on: Curriculum developments worldwide Empowering communities through dance Embodiment and creativity in dance teaching Exploring and assessing learning in dance as artistic practice Imagined futures for dance education Reflection, evaluation, analysis and documentation are key to the evolving ecology of dance education and research involving individuals, communities and nations. Dance Education around the World: Perspectives on Dance, Young People and Change provides a great resource for dance educators, practitioners and researchers, and pushes for the furtherance of dance education around the world. Charlotte Svendler Nielsen is Assistant professor and head of educational studies at the Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, research group Body, Learning and Identity, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Stephanie Burridge lectures at Lasalle College of the Arts and Singapore Management University, and is the series editor for Routledge Celebrating Dance in Asia and the Pacific.