Moving to Learn, Learning to Move

Creative Learning through Movement (CLTM) is a somatic approach to social-emotional learning for children which integrates motor, cognitive, and social-emotional learning. Classes are based on experiential learning– exploring, discovering and creating through movement.

The children solve movement puzzles, generate and develop ideas through doing, and invent movement solutions. They explore how they physically shape themselves— their bodily attitudes and emotions— and how they can influence their action, reactions, and interactions. They play dynamic games that increase spatial awareness and develop interpersonal skills through nonverbal collaborations. They translate classroom curriculum into experiential education, making it tangible and personal.

Movement Explorations, Somatic Practices, and Dynamic Games

All classes include movement explorations, somatic practices, and dynamic games. The somatic practices and movement explorations are based on developmental movement patterns (rolling, creeping, scooting, squatting, crawling, etc) and basic motor-emotional patterns (such as joy, sadness, fear, anger) which deeply influence and inform how people function and behave. Through guided movement inquiries, the children discover how they can develop and influence their own unique way of moving. Dynamic group games engage the children in collaborative activities and running games where they learn personal, interpersonal, and group skills.

Creative Learning Through Movement encourages children to learn, think and live creatively and to share this with others.

Actions Come First

Long before verbal development takes center stage, infants and young children learn through the immediacy of their actions — through how they react to and interact with others, the environment and themselves. Actions come first, language grows out of and in relation to this.

Linking Language to Experience

CLTM classes begin with doing, experiencing and exploring, and then link language to this, creating a potent connection between what we do, how we experience this and how we frame our understanding verbally. This integrates physical, emotional, and cognitive learning. By grounding problem solving, emotional exploration and creative thinking in physical experience and expression, CLTM fosters the relationship between oneʼs actions, feelings, thinking, and sensations.

CLTM classes foster creativity, spark curiosity, encourage group participation and cooperation, enhance body/mind awareness, develop personal and interpersonal skills and create a lifelong love for moving and learning.

Sonja currently teaches Creative Learning Through Movement Classes weekly at The Berkeley School in Berkeley, California.

Read posts below for examples of some of the different themes and classes from Creative Learning Through Movement.

Sonja’s article, Creative Learning Through Movement with Children was published by the Feldenkrais Educational Foundation of N.A.

https://www.feldenkraisguild.com/article_content.asp?article=17

For over 15 years Sonja taught CLTM at a private elementary school, click below to see an interactive archive of the program.

Aurora School – Movement

Aurora offers weekly Creative Learning through Movement classes for k-1 children and monthly classes for grades 2-5. These classes include group movement explorations and dynamic games which integrate cognitive, emotional and motor development. By grounding problem solving, emotional exploration and thinking in movement and expression, classes focus not only on learning how to move, but on moving as a means to learn.