Workshop Title

BrainDance for Young Children

When

12 Feb 2009
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Asia/Singapore

Where

Singapore - Bayview Hotel Singapore
30 Bencoolen Street, Singapore, 189621

Event Tag

Children love to crawl, climb, run & jump. Movement is an essential component for wiring the central nervous system so the brain can operate to it’s full potential. Unfortunately, children do not automatically learn to move proficiently without sufficient movement opportunities. Children’s lives are becoming more sedantry from an early age. Factors like TV & video, along with fears about children’s’ safety & lack of adult encouragement in often busy lives, affect their experience & involvement in movement. 2-5 years is part of a critical period for children learning motor skills. Movement confidence builds self esteem, lays the basis for later fine motor control & eye tracking & promotes fitness throughout life. Anne Green Gilbert developed BrainDance to review the early movement patterns that human beings are programmed to move through in the first 12 months of life to wire the central nervous system. Taking these movements and using them in a fun musical ways we can ensure children have a varied movement experience to assist in wholeness and integration of body and brain.
“A fully functioning body promotes a fully functioning brain….” Anne Green Gilbert

Objectives
The workshop aims to give a clear understanding and practical experience of :

  • the 8 movement patterns specifically involved and named in BrainDance
  • developmentally appropriate ways to use these movements with 0 – 8 year olds through simple songs, rhymes & dances
  • how the movements can be useful in the classroom for assessment, to help children focus for other learning or for revisiting specific movement patterns that may have been poorly learnt or missed
  • the emphasis will be on fun & play to build a varied movement repertoire for children

Outline

  • Background to the BrainDance patterns
  • Research on brain compatible learning
  • The 8 movement patterns for 0 – 5 year olds in rhymes and simple songs
  • The importance of varied movement experience in building eye tracking and eye convergence
  • The proprioceptive and vestibular systems, Why they hold the key to movement and learning
  • Easy, fun breath and focus activities to aid concentration and introduce relaxation
  • BrainDance patterns for 5 – 8 year olds
  • Fun ways to use props in movement and dance
  • Using braindance in the classroom

Trainer’s Profile
Carol C. is a teacher and social worker with a Masters in Early Childhood Studies from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. Carol has extensive experience in dance (folk, classical and jazz) and yoga. She specializes in educational early childhood performances as well as in-service music and movement training for early childhood teachers and carers in Sydney and throughout Australia. Carol, together with Gary, has produced a wide range of music and movement resources for teachers of young children. Carol’s passion is combining the many learning possibilities that music and movement offer young children, with a love of world music and dance.

Methodology
Lot’s of movements. Participants are advised to wear pants/jeans

Target Audience
Teachers of children aged 0 to 8 years

Duration: 1 day, 7 hours
Closing Date 1 Jan 09


Other Available Sessions
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