Book Description

Teaching Children Dancecontains a practical framework and approach for presenting creative dance lessons to children in kindergarten to fifth grade. It combines essential dance content appropriate for an elementary-level program with detailed descriptions of strategies. Featuring 20 dance learning experiences, the book has been updated and expanded to reflect educators' renewed commitment to making dance an integral part of children's education. You'll learn to view dance as an art form while improving your teaching and increasing your confidence. You'll also learn the benefits of introducing dance to elementary students, the most effective ways to teach it, and what to teach and when to teach it. In part I, you'll find a wealth of new content, including ideas on how to design and present a dance learning experience composed of units and lessons, suggestions for classroom management, updated assessment content, and strategies for interdisciplinary connections. Part IIpresents 20 dance learning experiences, reorganized for easy reference into two categories: kindergarten to second grade and third to fifth grade. These ready-to-use experiences walk you step by step through the dance process, beginning with an introduction and ending with a dance. Use experiences from either category as a series or dance unit--either way, you'll set a welcoming environment for learning and creating. Other features include the following: -Questions for reflection at the end of each chapter encourage teachers to apply the content to their own teaching style and preferences. -Nuts and bolts for presenting dance learning experiences ensure adherence to national and state standards. -New photographs and illustrations make the book visually attractive and show the ideas presented in action.