Choosing a Creative Movement Class for your Child

What exactly IS creative movement? 

What should I look for in a creative movement class?  

How can it benefit my young child?  

Over the years, many parents and teachers have asked me these and similar questions.

And they are important questions.  There are so many activities available for young children.  Parents must be choosy, given time constraints, expense, and overall benefits, when looking for classes for their young children.  I would like to give my perspective from my long career of teaching dance to young children.

Creative movement serves many of the important developmental needs of children ages 3-6.  Children love and need to move.  Children's imaginations should be allowed to roam freely and not be constrained by too much structure at this age.  A movement class may be one of the first times a child is in a class with peers, and many times it is their first experience without a parent with them in the classroom.  The teacher must be aware of how to help ease little ones through this transition.

My definition of creative movement (or creative dance; the terms are interchangeable) starts with my definition of dance:

DANCE is an art form whose medium is the body in motion and stillness.  Dance crosses many boundaries; it is a creative art as well as a performing art.  It is also a visual art.  It is an athletic endeavor as well as an artistic pursuit.  

CREATIVE MOVEMENT embodies a little bit of all of these wonderful aspects of dance.  It centers on the fact that dance is a creative art, and its medium is the body in motion.

Here are my Top 15 (I just couldn't keep it to 10!) reasons that I advocate for every child to have the opportunity to experience creative movement:

 1.  Nurturing the imagination
 2.  Working on basic locomotor skills, such as hopping, marching, galloping, tiptoeing,  skipping, turning, crawling . . . while developing strength, flexibility, and body control
 3.  Learning to be aware of and control the speed at which they move; learning to slow down and stop
 4.  Awareness of direction and level in space
 5.  Learning to solve movement problems individually
 6.  Learning to solve movement problems as part of a group
 7.  Moving to rhythms, music, and sound
 8.  Learning the concept of personal versus shared space
 9.  Becoming aware of the idea of taking turns, and other classroom etiquette
10. Opportunities for dramatic play
11.  Learning early literacy skills (dancing to stories, learning new vocabulary words, sequencing)
12.  Learning early math skills (patterns, counting, number sense)
13.  Developing the skill of listening to instructions
14.  Following those instructions and responding through movement
15.  Being part of an experience where the important thing is the process, not the finished product



I could go on for quite a while, but I think this gives a good glimpse into the many joys and benefits of a creative movement class.

So, how does one go about choosing a quality creative movement class for children ages 3-6?


Here are the Top 8 things to keep in mind when choosing a creative movement class:

1.  Teacher Background

• Does the teacher have a solid dance background (at least several years of training)?  
• Does the teacher have experience working with young children?  
• Does the teacher have a college degree in dance education or some other dance education certification?  (For example, NDEO, the National Dance Education Organization, gives courses that lead toward dance teacher certification.  Visit National Dance Education Organization -- They are a great resource)  

At least two out of three of the above are highly recommended.

2.  Space

Is the space for the class free of obstacles?  Is it big enough for the children to move around freely?

3.  Number of students

I have found that no more than 12 young children in a class is optimum.  If there are more than 12, the teacher will often have an assistant or co-teacher.  I have had more than 12 in my classes over the years, and many teachers do a good job with more, but I think it is best to have 12 or less per teacher. 

4.  Mix of ages

I have had experience with some older two-year-olds wanting to join the class for three-year-olds.  Generally, this is not a good idea.  At this age range, even a few months can make a big difference.  I would look for a class that sticks to a minimum age requirement, so that a child is three years by the time the session for three-year-olds begins.

Three and four-year olds do well together in a creative dance class.  As the children get older and approach age six, the mix of older fours, fives, and six-year-olds is usually fine.  They learn from each other, share ideas, and interchange leadership roles throughout the weeks of classes.

5.  Length of class

For children who have just turned three, a class that lasts 1/2 hour is plenty.  As children get older and more comfortable with the class, four, five, and six year-olds can easily handle a 45-minute class.  

6.  Length of Session

There are many different settings for creative movement classes (private dance studios, recreation departments, YMCA's, summer dance camps, etc.) , and each will have different session lengths.  In order for your child to really get a feel for the class, I would recommend at least a six-week session.  I have had many students in my classes who are reluctant at first, and it takes several classes for them to feel comfortable participating.  And often the ones who are most reluctant are the ones who are the most enthusiastic by the end of the session.  So make sure to give the teacher, the class, and your child a chance to become familiar with each other!

7.  Sample a Class

If this is an option, it is a great way to go.  You can keep this checklist in mind as your child tries the class.  However, remember what I said in #6 above.  Your child may be reluctant at first.  If you are happy with the general feel of the class, encourage your child to try a few more.

8.  Parent Observation

Parents should be allowed to view the class, but it is better if they are not physically present in the classroom once the class gets underway.  Doing so divides the child's attention and distracts him or her (as well as the other children) from the activities and learning that is happening in the classroom.  The best possible situation is a window so that the parents can peek in from time to time.

Most teachers will invite parents to attend observation days scattered throughout the session, when parents and friends are invited to visit the class.  The children are told ahead of time that they will be dancing for guests.  This is a fun chance for children to get their first taste of performing!

I hope I have answered many of the questions and addressed some of the concerns parents have when looking for activities and lessons for their children.  

I hope you will give creative movement a try!

Note:  All the photos on this blog post are of creative dance classes I have taught over the years in Ohio and Michigan

MOVING IS LEARNING!

Keep on Dancin'!

Connie

Stop Telling Preschoolers to "Share" and "Take Turns"

by Cheryl Hatch
Preschool Plan It

"Take Turns! Share!" Words we use every day.

A few months ago, I shared information about challenging preschool behavior and how we, as teachers can approach it.  But what about every day preschool behaviors?  

They feel pretty challenging even if they ARE developmentally appropriate, for sure! 

And we need to remember that it is our role, as the adult in the room, to help guide our children through the situations they face in the classroom each day--no prevent it or punish for it.

Sure, we certainly should know what triggers children to react negatively and do our best to provide an environment that does not create negative behavior.

We can provide multiples of popular toys and materials.  We can provide a space in the classroom to build that super high block structure that is not in the middle of the room and, therefore, in the major path of traffic.  There are many other areas we can observe, assess and do.  

Today, though, I want to make a suggestion about something you should STOP doing.

Stop using words like "Take Turns" or "We share the toys in school" and start showing them what that actually means!

We tend to think they know what it means to share or take turns, mostly because we or their parents have said it day in and day out!

But really, have we ever taken the time to really explain and show what those words mean?  Have we taken the time to think about what those words mean versus how we apply them to children?

What we sometimes have shown them is that sharing means relinquishing what they have to another child and that a person's turn is over when an adult says so, not because a person is done using an item.

I mean, let's face it, if you have 12 cars in front of you, you can share with me.
If you have 1 car in front of you, short of cutting it in half, you can't share it!

And, if you have the one car I want to use, we can take turns.  

However, what does that mean?  Usually the teacher sets a timer for 5 minutes and tells you that when the timer goes off, it's my turn.

But what if you are having that car go up that crazy, awesome block ramp you just built and it has to drive through the (imaginary) snow and mud to get to the top.  Now....you must decide......will it go down the ramp or will it use it's transformer wings to fly out of the snowstorm?  

Right when you are decided the fate of this car, the timer goes off and you are told that it's MY turn to use it.  BUT--YOU WEREN'T DONE USING IT YET!   

I used the timer method for a long time until I realized that it's not up to me to decide when or how long a child's turn is.  It is up to the person using the item!

Real life comparison:  

Let's say another adult in your home is using the one laptop in the house.  They are sending an email or writing a paper.  If you ask them if you can use the laptop (aka: have a turn) when they are done, what happens?  

Most likely they respond with "Sure!", they finish their email or paper and let you know when they are done, right?

Would you ever set a timer for 5 minutes and, when the timer goes off, go over to that person, take the laptop out of their hands and say "Timer went off--my turn."?

Of course not!! The person who is using the laptop knows when they are done.

It should be the same for children.  

You:  Playing happily with potential flying car in the block area.

Me:   I want to use that car.

You:  But I'm using it right now.

Me:  But you've had it for a gazillion minutes.  MISS TEACHER!  She won't let me use the car!!!!

Teacher:  You need to share (or you need to take turns)!

You:  Well, it's my turn right now!

Me:  But I want a turn!!

Teacher:  We'll set the timer for 5 minutes and then it will be Cheryl's turn.

This is the typical approach.

Instead, it is my belief that we need to let the child decide when their turn is over.  It might be in 5 minutes, it might be at clean up time.  If that happens, you can always put a note on the toy or item that says "Cheryl's turn is tomorrow" and let me use it first tomorrow.

We need to approach every challenge as an opportunity to teach problem solving skills, including what sharing really means.  And what taking turns really means.

Children can not learn to negotiate problems if they are not allowed to have them.  

Some Resources To Provide Tips and Techniques

I have an article on the website about Behavior Guidance for other behavioral challenges we see day to day in the classroom.  It helps go over 4 steps to take to help decide HOW to approach different behaviors.

Click here to read the 4 Steps to Behavior Guidance in Preschool.

And if you missed my previous article on Challenging Preschool Behaviors, you will find that here.

About the author

Cheryl Hatch has taught and directed preschool programs for over 20 years.  She is the Creator and Owner of Preschool Plan It, a website dedicated to sharing preschool themes, activities, articles and training with early childhood educators.  She volunteers as the coordinator and teacher of the MOPPETS program in her town (a preschool program for the M.O.P.S.--Mothers of Preschoolers Program).  She has her undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education.  Cheryl has been an active, integral member and leader within the Teachers.Net Early Childhood community for many years, moderating live chats and providing peer support on the Preschool Teachers Chatboard.  You can read Cheryl’s articles, activities and themed preschool lesson plans at www.preschool-plan-it.com 

The Art of Synergy - how to create a sense of community

THE ART OF SYNERGY

Modeling how to create community for our next generation

Children!  

Our greatest global resource

Hi, it's Enrique from the Global Learning Foundation and the Sam the Ant team.  It's always exciting to share an idea and some strategies with you every month.  There are so many great ideas on this collaborative blog.  A simple one that I loved was Scott from Brick by Brick with his blog this past September titled Drawing on Mirrors.  I love how fundamental this particular strategy is because it allows the teacher/guide to create all sorts of learning opportunities.  It's open ended and that leads to questions, which can lead to inspiration, which leads to striving...

which leads to synergy!

What is synergy?

What does synergy look like?

Learning Guide and Learners co-discovering with young learners
being treated like co-creators, co-researchers and co-scientists.

John Coltrane and Miles Davis creating musical synergy in 1958

Synergy can be achieved in any moment and once
achieved it can be built upon, studied, practiced and elevated.

Synergy is not just any one moment, but a set of ongoing
moments which can culminate in the creation of something
physical, as is the case with this garden.

Synergy can built within families and friends.  The creation
of synergy in community is of critical importance to our
planet. This set of family and friends are in the UK.

The building of synergy can include modeling of ideas and it is important to also include opportunities for the learner to express their own desires and perspectives, as can be seen with the different levels of complexity of drawings, some by the adult, some by the young learner and some by both!

Synergy is like collaboration, but much more alive, open ended and has more energy associated with it because it involves multiple individuals or organizations not just working together, but openly exploring together.  For synergy to take place, it takes individuals and/or organizations which are truly open to creating ideas, which otherwise, would not have been possible.

Synergy can impact the effectiveness and productivity in any setting, and the setting itself can impact how comfortable we are to synergize, including the following.  We can take the time to set up any environment that fosters synergy and the settings which follow are excellent examples.

Early Childhood Classrooms

An early childhood classroom that uses both Reggio and Montessori inspired materials as provocations for the young learners who call this one of their homes.

You can learn more about the above classroom here.

Open up: Fuji Kindergarten by Tezuka Architects features an outdoor play area on its roof. | PHOTOGRAPHER: KATSUHISA KIDA/FOTOTECA; CREATIVE DIRECTOR KASHIWA SATO; LIGHTING DESIGNER: MASAHIDE KAKUDATE/MASAHIDE KAKUDATE LIGHTING ARCHITECT & ASSOCIATES,INC.

Fuji Kindergarten                                                                       (Yes, the top of this school is the roof, and yes, children are able to explore, run and interact with their surroundings)

The above kindergarten is a very effective example of a physical structure which not only invites synergy, but also ignites it! When first meeting Takaharu and Yui, the husband-and-wife team who created Fuji Kindergarten, you are immediately drawn to their playful spirit. “Our architecture is about family — everything we learn, everything we do about architecture starts with our family,” says Takaharu. The Tezukas have two young children. The architects’ motto is: “If you don’t know happiness, how can you provide it to others?” Located in Tachikawa, western Tokyo, the 750-student, three-year preschool built in 2007 is a one-story structure in the shape of a donut. The entire school feels like a playground, from the open-air central courtyard to the building’s wide circular roof. Even the interior classroom areas follow an open-school plan where partitions separate sections and all furniture is moveable. Takaharu says the goal is for “these children to be stronger and more flexible.” The idea of non-linear structures is not new, yet not used as often as they should be used.  There are plenty of linear moments in our lives as human beings.  Non-linear visual stimuli and experiences ignite a different part of our brain. The part which is connected to creativity and innovation.

K - 12 Classrooms

A Waldorf school in Seattle.  This is a physical example of synergy!

Una de las clases de la escuela infantil waldorf de Belloterra, Spain.  A classroom from an early childhood classroom in Belloterra, Spain.

For more information on this classroom, click here.

It took children’s book illustrator Maira Kalman an entire year to track down the flea-market treasures that she transformed into the alphabet at the John Randolph School, P.S. 47 in the Bronx. The stimulating space is divided into colorful reading, research, and study areas with floor graphics, mobile shelving, and easily positioned tables and chairs, including Pierre Paulin’s “Orange Slice” chair, peeking out in the background. Photo ©Peter Mauss/Esto.  

Artist rendering of open kitchen and co-located teaching kitchen for upper and
lower elementary schools, Dillwyn, Virginia

Click here for more information on this idea. 

Anne Frank Inspire Academy Middle School in San Antonio, Texas

A signature Wall composed of cross sections of local wood contains

a storage area with whiteboard doors for brainstorming sessions

Blended Rehab of a space! American International School of Utah is a great example of rehabilitated retail space. Early grades use a Montessori approach. Intermediate grades are student-centered similar to another school worth visiting — Acton Academy. The high school has big blended blocks that use a mixture of learning spaces that allow for student choice and encourage ownership. The music and drama program are exceptional (featured here).

Green School in Bali combines a rigorous K-12 core curriculum with hands-on experiential learning within a Green Studies curriculum and a Creative Arts curriculum.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BRUSSELS HIGH SCHOOL

Brussels, Belgium The International School of Brussels is an English-language international school that provides an international education to over 1500 students aged 2 ½ to 19 from 62 countries. The 40-acre secure campus lies in the Brussels commune of Watermael-Boitsfort.  As with the above examples, the physical structure is more open than most high schools, with more natural light and which impacts our minds in ways which can lead to more creative thought.  Creativity is the seeding ground for synergy.

Higher Education settings

Innovation is about to get easier, faster and more accessible at the University of Central Florida with the grand opening of four new labs known as Maker Spaces.  The above two images are examples of the creative use of space, color and light, which can all impact how quickly learners engage in synergistic activities.

Corporate settings

Google Office Spaces are designed for ignition of creativity. Synergy can become an expected part of daily activities!

BBC North Offices in England are designed with circular structures within a more traditional structure.  The color green has been shown by research as a color which invites 

both relaxation and creativity.

There are three areas, once experienced authentically over time, which lead to synergy. Inviting others to this process in an invitational way typically leads to a stronger sense of caring, community and increases the potential for synergy to arise.

THE ART OF THE QUESTION

• What kinds of questions do you tend to ask others?
• What kinds of questions do you tend to ask yourself?
• When someone asks you a questions, do you sometimes respond with a question that leads to even more conversation and thought?

As adults, we tend to ask questions for which we are hoping to hear a certain answer. This limits the response and when working with young children, we want to expand the possible responses. We all want our children to feel free and strong enough to answer authentically... and explore just as freely!

THE ART OF INSPIRATION

When we think of inspiration, we sometimes think of what inspires us. Other times we think about what inspires others. I'd like you to think about:

• What inspires others to be inspired?
• What inspires others to inspire others?

When we take the time to observe how children interact with other children, adults and even animals, we will see some wonderful examples of this. We'll also see attempts that are unsuccessful, yet in the attempt there is the "learning how to inspire and be inspired" which can most certainly take place, depending on how we, as the adult guide, position their attempt.

THE ART OF STRIVING

Paralympic Games in London

When many think of striving, we think of working hard and certainly work ethic is a key variable. I'd like you to ask yourself the following questions related to your work with children and your own circle of friends and colleagues:

• When you feel happy, what is it that prompts that feeling of happiness?
• When you achieve a goal, what is it that prompts that feeling of achievement?
• When you feel negative in some way, what is it that prompts that feeling?
• When you miss a goal, do you always feel a sense of disappointment?  Why or why not?
• What percentage of people in your life actively support your projects and your general approach to life?

From my own experience and the many years of experience in synergizing with children and colleagues, the Art of Striving is all about finding what feeds our energy tank.  When we connect to the things and people that give back positive energy, it creates a win-win scenario. This typically feels like I am going with the current of a river.... I feel like I'm going downstream, with the flow, living in the moment.... and THAT.... feels absolutely liberating. I encourage you to take some time to think about that and talk about this with your friends and colleagues.

And now a gift for all of you that will help you and your children explore The Art of the Question, The Art of Inspiration and The Art of Synergy all in the form of a children's book...for free!  Click on FREE Sam the Ant ebook and enjoy this story which embodies everything in this blog.

An example from a page of Sam the Ant - The Flood (Book 1)

Cheers!

Enrique

*

Public Speaker

*

Founder, Global Learning Foundation

*

Co-Creator, Sam the Ant Children's Books

*

Producer, Kaleidoscope, 

a new Children's Music Album

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MAPS and Scientific Creativity

Happy Summer everyone!  Great to have the chance to connect with all of you again.  For those new to my blog, I'm Enrique Feldman and I'm the Founder and Director of Education for the Fostering Arts-Mind Education Foundation.  We work closely with MyTown in LA and together we guide thousands of parents, teachers, and children in various states and abroad.

Maps have been around for a very long time.  The earliest known maps are of the heavens, not the earth.  Maps dating to 16,500 BC found on the walls of the Lascaux caves, map out part of the night sky, including three bright starts, Vega, Deneb, and Altair, as well as the Pleiades star cluster.  What?  Is this an early childhood blog?  Yes… yes, it is.  While the first map was of the heavens, many of the maps I have seen children make are of places they know.  Quite often, maps of where there house in relationship to other places they know, like school.  At the Benson Head Start Center, they used a great prompt as you see below, along with the answers given by 4 - 5 yr olds.

Any number of questions could be asked to engage the mind of a young child related to maps and why they are used.  What I love about this particular question is how open ended it was.  They didn't ask a question like "Do you use Maps to find your way home?"  They simply asked, "Why do people use maps?"  They could also "What is a map?"  This allows the learner a great deal of freedom of thought, which is related to creativity.  Below is one sample map of a young child. 

• What do you see?
• Is there a key being used? (wow… I think there is!)
• Based on this map, what knowledge is the child exhibiting?
• What would another potential question be in order to extend their knowledge and use of maps?

Above I mentioned creativity.  In this case, I want to highlight the engagement of scientific creativity.  What does that mean?  The simplest way of describing this is the use of creativity with critical thinking simultaneously.  According to Dr. J. H. Mathewson of the Department of Chemistry at San Diego State University, "Thinking with images plays a critical role in scientific creativity and communication but is neglected in science classroom."  This comes from an article in SCIENCE EDUCATION titled "Visual-Spatial Thinking: an aspect of science overlooked by educators."  Essentially, this article highlighted the effectiveness of "imagery" and building knowledge and skill in "visual-spatial cognition."  

• Imagery: the formation, inspection and maintenance of images in the mind's eye without any literal visual stimulus.

• Visual-Spatial Cognition: the use of the eyes to identify, locate, and think about objects and ourselves in the world.

What may seem like a cute and simple strategy of creating maps, is in fact a scientifically proven approach to engage students of any age in ways which elevate their ability to be scientifically creative!  Here is another map by a young child.  Ask yourself:

• How is this map different from the previous one?
• What questions could you ask of young children to compare and contrast these two maps?
• What kind of knowledge and understanding does the maker of the map below have?

Maps create a bird's-eye view which can create new perspectives which in turn can lead to new ideas, says Dr. David Meiers, Director of the Center for Accelerated Learning in Wisconsin,and Dr. Owen Caskey, of Texas Tech University.  Together they led a year long federally funded study using full-bodied imagery with college students.  The results were impressive:

• Immediate recall of information: increased by 12%
• Long term recall of information: increased by 26%

With young children, think about how you could use the Art form of Embodiment to "become maps with their bodies."  Children play like this already.  With a sense of guidance and authentic dialogue, I have engaged young children in becoming parts of a map as a group.  It's a very different perspective than drawing a map.  Both the drawing of maps and the embodiment of maps compliment higher level thinking.

Related to the map below, ask yourself:

• What kind of factual information is this child showing knowledge of with his/her map?
• What kind of emotional information is this child showing knowledge of with his/her map?
• What kind of questions would you use with this child to extend the learning?

A map lights up the mind because it is essentially a picture.  Anything we can visualize will stay with us for longer period of time, at any age.  With that in mind, I ask you the to consider the following questions.  I'm not going to answer these questions, because if I did, I'd be robbing you of the process of taking your own mental journey.

• Could a child create a map of numbers or incorporate numbers in some way?
• Could a child create a map of letter/words or incorporate letter/words in some way?
• Could a child create a map of cycles in nature?
• What would happen if we, as teachers, used more questions than exclamation points?
• What would happen if we, as teachers, used more questions than periods?

What I have been sharing with you comes from the Context Method®, which powers both MyTown and the Fostering Arts-Mind Education Foundation.  I think maps are a great study and/or project for young children.  I tip my hat to the teachers and children at Benson Head Start Center and I encourage you, the reader, to use map making in your work with young children.

Con un abrazo fuerte (With a big hug!),

Enrique

THE MAKING OF A CASTLE TOWER - Children and Culture

Hello!

It's Enrique here and I'm so glad you're back for another glimpse at ways to engage young learners at any age.  This content and beauty of this blog comes in large part from the Sunnyside Head Start Center, which is part of Child-Parent Centers in Southern Arizona.  It also comes to us from the childhood memories of one of their leaders, Center Director Thelma Valdez.  Enjoy this description of what a "Castle Tower" is in the Mexican culture.

Castle Towers are part of the collective memory of many who have grown up in the U.S. Southwest and Mexico.

Castle Towers can be made in miniature and is a great ongoing project for kids of any age, including  3 - 5 year olds.  In my hometown of Tucson, Arizona, Castle Towers make sense as they connect us to a part of our Latin culture.  For other parts of the world, you could choose to make Castle Towers to "visit" our part of the world… or you could choose something from you culture to replicate in miniature.  For Castle Towers, you're going to need a lot of very colorful items.

• Colored Ribbons
• Colored String

• Plain Toothpicks
• Colored Toothpicks

• Small wood pieces of different shapes
• Colored material cut into small shapes, including flags

• Scissors
• A square or rectangular piece of wood as the base

• Glue
• Creativity
• Critical Thinking

• Patience to build small parts first

and the practiced vision to see how the small parts fit into a larger system

A giving adult to act as a guide and who is willing to ask questions like, "what else could we use?" and "how can we solve that problem?"

There are so many variations and you sometimes end up creating more than you envisioned, which is something we can hopefully continue to experience as adults.

The physical things you need to build a Castle Tower are obviously important, but there is something more important… the willingness to risk and explore… there is no one way.

Young learners will develop fine motor skills that are pre-writing in nature and it's also quite possible to learn about colors, shapes, proportion, and much more with young learners.  With older learners you could easily focus on things such as symmetry, asymmetry, fulcrum and counterbalance...

but there is something more important that can and should be learned through this experience…

Starting with a plan and expecting the plan to change.

Starting with a plan and looking forward to change.

Setting mini-goals to reach larger ones.

Being open to new goals appearing.

Finishing what you start.

Seeing more to create… even when you're "done."

What more can you do with the young learners in your life?

Endeavor

Enrich

Evolve

Enrique C. Feldman, Founder/Director of Education

Fostering Arts-Mind Education Foundation

Co-Founder/Director of Education

Context Method®