Movement for Learning

Abstract

ment classes in public and private schools, teachers have often approached me and expressed interest in bringing creative movement into their own classrooms. But they have always quickly added that they didn’t know where to start, or that they didn’t know how to present movement concepts in an organized way. From the outset, the enthusiasm and interest of these teachers have been a primary inspiration for me. This book has been written for all those teachers of preschool children and child care providers who have wanted to bring movement into their classrooms but weren’t sure where to begin. For teachers with no formal dance training, the idea of bringing structured movement into a classroom may be daunting. Movement traditionally has not been as widely used in classrooms as other art forms, such as music, visual art, and drama, and many teachers may not know where to begin. In fact, movement is very accessible, and requires almost no materials. With a small drum or tambourine, a few recorded musical selections, a classroom space, and a guided lesson plan, you can present a playful, imaginative, and enriching class to your students. I have found that the most difficult part of teaching a preschool movement class is not teaching the movement skills themselves, but learning how to work with young children. Because teachers are already familiar with handling a classroom full of young children, incorporating structured movement into the lesson plan can be a very straightforward process. In fact, it is a natural addition to the curriculum because young children love to move, and movement then becomes another helpful instructional tool for the teacher. Dance, Turn, Hop, Learn! is designed to bridge the gap for teachers who recognize that movement can be a valuable tool in the classroom but who are not familiar with teaching structured movement classes. The thirty-eight lessons in this book will take you through a year of movement exploration and imagination and will give you the confidence to make creative movement a basic part of your classroom.