Welcome to Unit 6! Movement Theories It will be helpful to have your course books nearby, if possible. Feel free to chat with each other. We will begin class at 8:00PM ET!

What is the importance of using movement and music and movement in the classroom? Potential intellectual benefits Provides enjoyment to children Expands learning experiences Broadens their world to include the creative arts Supports the development of the whole child

Describe a good movement activity for a two-year old Play “Scarves and Music” –Children select a scarf –Tell children to play with them – see how they float, swerve, and respond to fast movements –Play different types of music such as classical, rock, jazz, or hip-hop, and let the children move however they feel, using their scarves to interpret the music.

Describe a good movement activity for a four-year old Play “Let’s Move” –Teacher have a collection of household items such as a broom, clothes brush, eggbeater, towel, or dust cloth. –Let the children choose an item and ask them to show how to move when using the object. –Let the children invent a new way to use the object. Riding a broom like a horse, swing a towel overhead like a towel –Children can bring other items from home and show how to use, or invent new ways for using.

Describe a good movement activity for a seven-year old Copy Cat –Form a circle of children –One person in the group starts to move and the others imitate. The same motion is repeated around the circle. –The next person in the circle creates a different movement that is repeated. –Teacher can guide with questions such as, “How do feet move when walking on hot sand?”

Describe how music develops during the infancy years. Infancy - infant responds to sounds in environment by moving arms, legs, head. Later, may make sounds to respond to the music. Toward the end of the year, infants demonstrate their recognition of a song by moving or laughing in anticipation.

Describe how music develops during toddler years. May sing a familiar phrase Continue a song after adult has stopped Chant patterns Play simple instruments

How does music develop in preschool? Use songs and music to accompany their activity throughout the day. Jump, walk, and clap to music. Movement matches rhythm of music listening to Can recognize familiar melodies

How does this change during the primary grades? Can read words of a song Write new words to a song Play musical instruments Begin dance classes

How could you personalize songs to sing with children and how? “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush” can become “This is the way we wash our hands” “Where is Thumbkin?” can become “Where is David?” Can you think of other examples?

Weekly Reminders Complete reading Post your answer to our discussion board question and respond to several of your classmates’ posts Get started on Unit 7 Project.

Discussion Board Requirements Initial post is within the 100 word-range and makes a clear connection to the unit readings. Respond to several classmates. Keep the flow of discussion going by asking questions, sharing experiences, and posting throughout the week. Use correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation when posting. Be sure to capitalize the letter I when using it alone.

Unit 7 Project Your project for Unit 7 will have you reflecting on how children express their creativity at each developmental stage. You are to choose at least two (2) age levels and write about how children express their creativity at that developmental stage in three categories: art; music and movement; and drama.

This is an example of how you should fill in the Unit 7 project chart (the link to the chart is below): AGEARTMUSIC & MOVEMENTDRAMA 9-12 (Example) Isbell and Raines (2006) state that Gardner (1980) believed that as children grow older, they are more concerned with how things are placed on the page and want things to be more specific in size, proportion, shape and color. An 11-year-old child's picture will usually be neater than that of a younger child, but it can become less imaginative. This stage is sometimes called the "gang" or "realistic" stage, when students are demonstrating a better understanding of the world as a whole. They become more comfortable with media and form, and figures sometimes leave the page. Students tend to be more critical of their work and teachers must be very careful with their comments and suggestions (Winner, 1986).

Ways to get help! your instructor Visit your instructor during office hours on AOL Instant Messenger Post your question to the Course Questions discussion board (under "Course Home" > "Course Questions")

References Isbell, R.T. and Raines, S. C. (2007). Creativity and the Arts with Young Children. Thomson Delmar Learning.