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(Unit 2) Topic 7: Music and Movement

2 Clock Hours of Early Childhood Education

You Should be Dancin'

​Topic 7 Page 12

Dance goes by many names. Whether you refer to it as dance, movement, bodily expression, musical interpretation or various other titles, the idea is the same. Dance is all about moving your body in reaction to music. Young children crave movement and are at a fantastic stage in their physical development to really enjoy and participate in creative dance and movement activities. Avoiding the inclusion of dance or creative movement in an early childhood program is really doing the children a disservice. 

Moving to music is inherently healthy for a human body.

​According to the Centers for Disease Control children should get 60 minutes or more of physical activity each day. Even if a child is making up their own dance moves to the rhythm of a song or instrument, it is exercising their large muscle groups in ways that are healthy and beneficial. Try this: take the group of young children to a gym or similar large space. Play some kid-friendly upbeat music without giving any direction. Watch as the children listen at first but then begin to move and react to the music. Some may run around the room willy-nilly while others may create elaborate dances to interpret the music. Are either of these wrong? Absolutely not!

​Children will find their own groove and move in ways that they find fitting for the particular song. While they do this, their heart rates will elevate as they are exercising their bodies. Their movements will evolve throughout the song and they will build endurance through a fun aerobic activity. According to KidsHealth.org “When done regularly and for extended periods of time, aerobic activity strengthens the heart and improves the body's ability to deliver oxygen to all its cells.” ​

As you watch the video below, notice the physical activity steps that the children are experiencing. They have a warm up period, activity period, and a cool down period. ​

Video: Embedded Dance in the Early Years Curriculum
Source: John Panuccio
Length: 4:10 Minutes
Click here to view this video on YouTube

Click here to report problems with this video.

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