Creative Learning Through Movement

With Sonja and her drum as their guide, the children slither and slide; they crawl, jump, twirl, skip, hop, and fly through the air, and with each other.

“Listen… Can you hear the low-to-the-ground rhythm? How do you move?” One child slithers slowly on her belly. Another scoots quickly on his bottom. Someone else is walking on all fours. Yet another child spins on her back. They all explore, discover and create their own ways of moving as they respond to Sonja’s questions and suggestions. The children share their movement inventions and try out each others’.

With lines and shapes taped to the floor, they trace straight lines, curves, zigzags and circles on the floor with their hands and feet, and in the air with their elbows and knees. From lines to letters, what does this spell?

Embodied Learning

The children make curvy, soft, silky, smooth, twisty shapes; and straight, pointy, angular, strong, rigid shapes. “ How does your shape affect how you feel? And how do your feelings influence your shape? What attitude do you create with your shape?” Just as your children develop their handwriting — their signatures, in movement class they learn how to shape their actions and interactions as they create their own unique movement signatures.

When the drum plays, they move. When it stops, they freeze. In ten counts, they slowly melt, pausing several times along the way. “What is this semi-liquid state like? Do you feel more flexible? Or too floppy?

And how do you move around like this?” The children undulate, ripple,  wiggle, squiggle, and flow through the room and with each other. “How  fluid do you like to feel?” In ten counts, they slowly freeze, giving    themselves more form little by little until they are completely solid again.  Making several stops along the way, they explore what this is like: “Do you feel more grounded? More secure? Or stuck? How could you move around now?” The children explore along this continuum, transitioning back and forth between super solid and flowing fluid. “How much form do you prefer?”

It’s time for a group game — Shape Tag! Make a shape with a friend to become unfrozen!

Each class includes somatic practices, movement explorations and group games which integrate motor, cognitive, and social emotional learning. The children solve movement puzzles. They explore how they shape and influence their emotions. They play dynamic games that increase spatial awareness and develop interpersonal skills. Discovering through doing, your children learn how they can participate in the forming of their behaviors and their learning.

This is Learning In Action.