There are various forms of therapies for children with disabilities, including physical therapy, speech therapy, and alternative therapies such as music and dance therapy. Each form of therapy has its benefits for those with disabilities, but ultimately the success of the therapy rests on the attention paid to the individual. Especially for…

This teaching tip focuses on using hand-clapping to teach content area material across the curriculum. We begin with a brief history of hand-clap songs, followed by a rationale for using them in content area literacy. Then, we describe the instructional lesson, share samples that resulted, and discuss lesson extensions. Our goal is to have…

A literate child is one who is able to read, write, speak and listen. Literacy begins at birth, and continues steadily as children develop. The explicit processes that form emergent literacy are for example, phonemic awareness, letter and word recognition, vocabulary enrichment and structural analysis. These literacy practices are well documented…

A comprehensive model for organizing different approaches used in presenting dance movements focuses on the essential content of movement for elementary school children and examines the development of dance for young children from functional movement to more artistic experiences. (JN)

Dance movement instruction was shown to enhance spatial awareness in 16 visually impaired elementary students. Initiating such instruction early in life might be beneficial in treating movement inhibitions. Large-muscle and cardiovascular activities in physical education programs are complemented by the positioning, sequencing, movement, and…

Examined psychological effects of Tai Chi class for fourth to sixth graders. After pretesting, randomly assigned students to experimental group of 12-week Tai Chi program or comparison group following usual school routines. Found that experimental group did not demonstrate improved perceived self-competence, visual-motor integration, or reduced…

Instructors of professional preparation courses for teachers have too often neglected responsibility for application of theory into practice. The Basic Stuff Series is envisioned as a medium through which disciplinary scholars and professional physical education practitioners can share their expertise. (JN)

The article describes the program used in the Belmont (Massachusetts) public elementary schools involving the Dalcroze Eurhythmics approach to music and movement with special needs children. (SB)

The Basic Stuff project is an effort to include more general concepts such as the effects of exercise, the learning of a new skill, and psychological factors influencing performance. The Basic Stuff Series attempts to summarize for teachers appropriate concepts and teaching methods. (JN)

Improvisation and imagery should be used to strengthen the thin bond between creativity and motor development in children. The approach to dance as an improvisational tool should be made more concrete when working with special populations such as mentally handicapped students. (JN)

Movement programs have the potential to make a significant contribution to the goals of aesthetic education. Movement professionals must be prepared to articulate and to demonstrate physical education's contributions towards the realization of these goals. (CJ)

Believes that Emile Jaques-Dalcroze is not the only person who has affected movement-based instruction. Highlights the history of movement-based instruction in elementary music education by addressing the influence of Isadora Duncan and modern dance, the efforts of Francois Delsarte and Rudolph von Laban, and the role of remedial perceptual-motor…

Perceptual-motor functioning is a cyclic process involving: (1) organizing incoming sensory stimuli with past or stored perceptual information; (2) making motor (internal) decisions based on the combination of sensory (present) and perceptual (past) information; (3) executing the actual movement (observable act) itself; and (4) evaluating the act…

Learning, beginning in infancy, depends chiefly upon the nature and quality of movement experiences. Since 50 percent of a child's potential for learning is developed by age five, it is essential that movement programs be devised for children of preschool age. Movement programs must be geared to the individual child's developmental level. (JN)

Movement is motivated, encouraged, and governed by psycho-social development, motor development, and humanistic principles as well as by exercise physiology and kinesiology. The Basic Stuff series identifies the body of knowledge which underlies purposeful movement and can be integrated into concept or fundamental skill curricula. (JN)