Kinderdance - A Program To Suit Every Child

Kinderdance At Your Centre

A Kinderdance® teacher can come to your centre every week to deliver our program.

Alternatively if you are just looking for a one off session or a short block of classes, we can also accommodate this.

Choose from our programs below or we can combine programs to fit with the need of the centre.

Click below to enquire about classes at your centre

Children Learn Where They Already Learn

Kinderdance® programs are designed to be an integral part of your preschooler's "school day". Many of our programs take place where children's other learning occurs in child care facilities. Your children move seamlessly from one type of learning to another.

Kinderdance® programs blend educational concepts with various forms of movement, dance, and gymnastics. The programs help develop gross motor skills, movement creativity, fitness, and body awareness. Each class is taught using lesson plans which incorporate original and traditional age-appropriate music and songs.

Kinderdance® (ages 3-5) is a developmental dance, motor development and fitness program taught on 3 levels, teaching the basics of Ballet, Tap, Acrobatics and Creative Movement while blending educational concepts.

Kindertots® (age 2) is designed to develop the total child through gross motor skills, movement creativity, physical development and body awareness while learning numbers, colors, shapes and songs.

Kindermotion® (ages 3-5) is a developmentally designed education through motor skills, physical development, fitness, nutrition and imagery program which prepares students' minds and bodies for athletic and academic pursuits.

Why Is A Developmental Dance and Motor Development Program Important For A Young Child?

A preschool age dance and motor development program should be concerned with the total development of the child which includes the social, emotional, mental, and physical realms. The primary focus is to teach the "Total Child" in a developmentally designed dance/movement program. During the preschool years the child's personality becomes richer, more complex, and more highly differentiated. Significant new personality characteristics and motives emerge, while those that are already established may be modified and expressed in new and different ways (Mussen, 1956, p. 413). Since movement is so important to the young child, the focus is on teaching the "Total Child." This involves teaching in the three major areas of development, the psychomotor, cognitive, and affective domains.

The primary contribution of movement programs for young children is in the cognitive domain, which includes two areas: perceptual-motor development and academics. The focus of perceptual-motor development is on the development of children's capacity to make sensory and motor decisions and to use feedback to modify and/or eliminate errors from their behavior and from these decision-making processes (Williams, 1983, p.9). Psychomotor development is divided into two areas, which include movement abilities and physical abilities. Affective development deals with the emotional areas of growth. In class, activities for the preschoolers must be planned to include fundamental movements, which are gradually refined as the children progress through various program levels.

These skills are designed to meet the developmental needs of preschoolers. All of the skills have a carry-over value which will enhance the lives of children as they participate in other activities. Preschoolers engage in non-loco-motor and loco-motor movements, in balance activities, and in manipulative skills. Non-loco-motor movements, which are stationary, include bending, stretching, twisting, and turning. Loco-motor movements are those that take the body through space at various levels and directions. These movements include running, jumping, skipping, and galloping. These activities help preschoolers to explore the world around them in a unique manner when guided by a professional dance educator.

Activities that promote equilibrium include rolling combinations and inverted movements. The final category of movement is manipulative abilities. Gross motor manipulation involves big muscle activity and the use of the hands, arms, feet, or legs in contact with an object. Learning the skills of throwing, pushing, pulling, striking, catching, and trapping develops this ability. The preschooler becomes aware of the ways in which one can interact with objects and other persons.

"Learning to balance is fun when it is done in many shapes with music."

The first component of a quality dance and motor development program for preschoolers places emphasis in psychomotor development. This includes physical and motor fitness. The numerous activities included in the program must enhance both the preschooler's physical fitness and motor fitness. Included under the two terms are such elements as strength, flexibility, endurance, balance, speed, and coordination.

"Matching leap frogs and shapes at the same time makes learning meaningful."

Secondly, another important objective of a well-rounded movement education program for young children is the enhancement of fundamental cognitive concepts (Gallahue, 1976, p. 9). The two primary aspects of cognitive development are perceptual-motor abilities and academic abilities (Gallahue, 1976, p. 19)Perceptual-motor development deals with the inter-relationship of the mind and body working as one to produce harmony with environment.

A quality dance and motor development program for preschoolers must include a definite perceptual-motor training program in order to assist children in accurately processing information through all of the senses. Kephart considered that, if learning is to take place effectively, perception and movement must be matched, a process that occurs through a wide variety of sensory experiences and movement opportunities. As a result, movement and perception are joined and function as one (Kephart as cited by Arnheim & Sinclair, 1976, p. 26). Cratty, did not fully agree that reading or learning are improved through perceptual-motor programs although he did agree that an inability to function with peers can lower self-esteem which in turn may adversely affect motor and cognitive functioning.

Cratty emphasized that active participation in peer activities serves as a reinforcement for the acquisition of basic learning concepts. Peer activities help a child gain personal control and increase arousal level and can lengthen attention span as well as provide opportunities for problem solving (Cratty cited by Arnheim & Sinclair, 1976, p. 30). Components of perceptual-motor efficiency cover a broad spectrum of perceptual attributes. Included in the list are (a) postural and loco-motor awareness, (b) auditory perception and auditory spatial awareness, (c) visual perception and visual spatial awareness, (d) kinesthetic perception, (e) tactile perception, (f) body awareness, and (g) laterality and directionality (Moran and Kalakian, p. 276).

Cognitive development also involves the introduction and learning of basic academic concepts. The movement experiences of preschoolers can be effectively used as a medium for learning through movement. Educators are now recognizing that important perceptual-motor skills and fundamental academic concepts can be effectively dealt with in a movement education program (Gallahue, 1976, P. 10). In class, numbers, colors, shapes, and words should be introduced throughout the program. Learning comes easily when it is approached in a fun, non-threatening manner for which dance serves as an excellent vehicle. Dance brings basic academic concepts to life.

"Preschoolers learn to share, lead, interact and respond to others' needs
as well as their own."

The third component of a quality dance and motor development program for preschoolers must include emphasis in the affective area that is the emotional aspect of development. This involves dealing with children's increasing ability to act, interact, and react effectively with other people as well as with themselves (Gallahue, 1976, p. 14). With preschoolers, we are mainly concerned with the child's self-concept and the relationship with peers through various interactions.

Programs should place a strong emphasis on developing in each child a positive self-concept. All children must know they are special, unique, and independently capable individuals. Although the program has a very definite structure, within this structure is built room for a great deal of individualization, creativity, and autonomy. Moran and Kalakian stated: "Having succeeded in doing something valued by himself as well as by others, the child soon may begin to develop a better opinion of himself. An enhanced level of self-esteem may not only heighten motivation to learn additional motor skills but may in fact have carry-over value for improving one's attitude toward learning in general (1977, p. 69)."

"A child's world of work is play"

In summary, a child's world of work is through play. Preschoolers learn about their world and how to interact with their peers through play. As a consequence, play is extremely important to a child's development. Although adults do not structure most play situations, those that are planned can strengthen the learning experience. Preschoolers involved in a planned dance and motor development program have many opportunities to share, lead, interact, and respond to others' needs as well as their own. They learn it is alright to be different.

We are all unique beings with our own movement personalities. Preschoolers learn not only to appreciate themselves, but other as well. Dance/Movement, as a vehicle for education in the affective domain, not only creates a positive self-image and a greater social awareness for preschoolers, but also tries to develop a cultural appreciation for the arts as well as self-confidence, poise, and grace.

The various aspects of development during the early childhood years require a multitude of experiences of many types. One program cannot provide all of these, but a quality program does reinforce, supplement, and embellish efforts put forth by dedicated parents and teachers involved in the education of young children. Programs may not meet the needs of all boys and girls in the 2 to 5 year old category, but the majority of children will benefit from this carefully planned dance and motor development program in which there is integration of the psychomotor, cognitive, and affective domains of human behavior. Excerpts from "A Book on Kinderdance". By: Carol Kay Harsell, President/Founder Kinderdance International (1985).