Creative Movement June 2010
‘Creative Movement
in the Foundation Phase’
Tutors’ Manual
Title: Creative Movement in the Foundation Phase
Purpose
To increase practitioners’ confidence, knowledge, skills and understanding in order to enhance children’s Creative Movement skills.
Outcomes
By the end of this course practitioners should have an increased understanding of:
• what Creative Movement is
• the progressive stages for developing Creative Movement and Dance
• how Creative Movement can contribute to health, fitness and well-being
• effective planning and delivery
– using a range of contexts and stimuli
– to present opportunities for Creative Movement in continuous, enhanced and focused provision
– to present a range of stimulating opportunities for individuals, small groups, and whole classes, both indoors and outdoors
• the Creative Movement CD-ROM and resources.
They should also be able to:
• improve children’s Creative Movement skills
• identify how Creative Movement contributes to the requirements of the Foundation Phase
• begin to identify how this approach can enhance existing practice
• begin to compile a Creative Movement action plan.
Target Groups
Practitioners within the Foundation Phase.
SESSION PLAN SUMMARY
SESSION / TIME / TITLE / AIM / RESOURCES: Data projector, laptop, PowerPoint presentation, ‘Creative Movement’ CD-ROM, CD Player, Music Tracks, personal laptops if available, blu-tack, flipchart, flipchart pens1: Theory
(30 minutes)
Introduction / To introduce tutors and confirm that the course has been constructed in line with the CPD-PE Standards and Code of Practice.
To share the outcomes for the course.
To create an understanding of what Creative Movement is and how it contributes to the development of the whole child and the Foundation Phase. / Tutor / Course Organiser
PPT slides 1–11
Foundation Phase Documentation, Creative Movement Guidance. / CPD-PE Standards and Code of Practice.
PMI triangle, one per delegate.
2: Practical
(150 minutes)
Aspects of Creative Movement / To introduce and experience the aspects of Creative Movement: What? Where? With? How? To What?
Introduce and develop a language for learning. / Music tracks and books, props, etc.
Resource Cards: Aspects of Creative Movement, Basic Actions, Directions, Levels, Pathways, Spatial Arrangements, Quality, Dynamics, Choreographic Devices and Question Cards.
Move Cube and Basic Actions small flash cards.
PPT slides 12–17. / Hierarchy of Gross Motor Skills, one per pair.
3: Theory
(20 minutes)
Responding to Stimuli / To consider ways of stimulating child-initiated Creative Movement. / PPT slides 18 & 19 / Blank Planning Triangles, one per delegate
4: Theory & Practical
(60 minutes)
Making Dances / To consider a planning process that will help practitioners begin to develop Creative Movement opportunities over several sessions. / Books and props to support Colours
PPT slides 20 & 21. / Making Dance Framework Sheet, one per delegate. Flipchart paper and rainbow coloured pens.
5: Theory & Practical
(75 minutes)
Quality Learning and Teaching / To introduce practitioners to the Progression Maps, Theme Maps and resources. To use these resources to plan, perform, evaluate, assess and target set. / RECIPE Cards.
PPT slide 22. / Progression Maps, Theme Maps and Theme Picture, one A3 colour set per three delegates.
Blank Planning Triangles, one per delegate. ‘Under the Sea’ example, one per three delegates.
6: Theory
(25 minutes)
Action Planning / To begin to consider how to ensure the professional development is value for money and has a positive impact on standards of learning and teaching in their schools and settings. / PPT slide 23. / Triplicate Action Planners.
7: Theory
(30 minutes)
Further Information / To consider continuity, progression and links to other PESS initiatives.
To familiarise practitioners with the ‘Creative Movement in the Foundation Phase’ CD-ROM and resources. / PPT slides 24–25.
Theme Maps
Theme Pictures
Play to Learn Dance Activity Cards / CD-ROMs for use on the day. CD-ROM and resources to be issued to those schools that have not already received a set.
CD-ROM Navigation Plan, one per delegate.
8: Theory
(10 minutes)
Plenary / To provide opportunities to ask questions and to review the course and undertake an evaluation. / PPT slides 26 & 2, 3 & 6 / Evaluation forms.
Session 1 (30 minutes)
Theory
Introduction
Support Resources
CPD-PE Guidelines
PPT Slides 1–11
Aim
To introduce tutors and confirm the course has been constructed in-line with the CPD-PE Standards and Code of Practice.
To share the outcomes for the course.
To create an understanding of Creative Movement and how it contributes to the development of the whole child and the Foundation Phase.
Suggested delivery ideas/content/critical tasks
- Welcome practitioners to the training. Emphasise they are not going to pretend to be 3-year olds and can work at their own pace.
- Introduce tutor team and training housekeeping arrangements.
- Use PowerPoint presentation (PPT) slides 1–4 to discuss course overview and outcomes.
- PPT slide 5 – introduction.
- PPT slide 6 – The Big Picture: take some time to discuss the nature and ethos of the Foundation Phase. Ask delegates to consider if anything is missing from this list. If ‘yes’; collate thoughts on a flipchart headed ‘Foundation Phase Ethos’.
- Ask practitioners to consider this ethos throughout the course and how the approach complements the Foundation Phase ethos.
- Use PPT slide 7 to make the links between ‘Play to Learn’ and ‘Creative Movement’.
- Use PPT slide 8 to highlight where Creative Movement features in the Foundation Phase documentation.
- Use PPT slides 9 & 10 to share the details from the Area of Learning.
- PPT slide 11 – What is Creative Movement? Ask practitioners to discus in pairs what they might expect to see when children are engaging in Creative Movement in the Foundation Phase.
- WAG has identified three stages of development for children in the Foundation Phase: ‘as they develop’, ‘as they progress’ and ‘as they become more skilful’. In its simplest form, in the ‘as they develop’ stage, Creative Movement is Role Play where children act/perform words/ideas literally, so actions very much resemble real life, using the same speed, same size, and same body part. In the ‘as they progress’ stage children use their imagination to exaggerate their actions, for example making actions bigger, faster, slower, or changing the direction, level of the movement, etc. to increase variety and interest. Then, as they become skilful, children will use the original idea, or stimuli, but incorporate more dance actions and concepts to communicate their ideas: the actions become more abstract and symbolic rather than literal. In any one class, or group of children, practitioners may observe the full range of Creative Movement and must plan to help each child make progress in their Creative Movement skills. Represent this information on a flipchart for practitioners to refer to throughout the course.
- Ask them to share what currently happens in relation to Creative Movement in their class/school/setting. Creative Movement has traditionally been delivered in the hall as part of an adult-directed focus task, but there are many other ways of providing opportunities for Creative Movement and these will be discussed throughout the course. Research has highlighted more Creative Movement does not occur due to practitioners’ lack of knowledge and confidence. This course aims to provide that knowledge and confidence.
- Why should children be given opportunities to develop their Creative Movement skills? Discuss the benefits, or outcomes, of quality Creative Movement opportunities. Reinforce that experiences are of good quality, otherwise the reverse may happen. Refer to Creative Movement in the Foundation Phase CD-ROM for statements of support.
- Use PMI triangle if you wish to jot down anything that has arisen during this session. P = positive, M = minus, I = interesting, want to find out more.
KEY POINTS
- Creative Movement is part of the Foundation Phase; practitioners should be planning and helping children make progress in their Creative Movement skills.
- Creative Movement is unique and a very valuable experience for all.
- Delays in Physical Development and Creative Movement may be indicative of delays or concerns in other Areas of Learning.
Notes / Additional delivery ideas
Tutor log
Session 2: (150 minutes)
Practical
Aspects of Creative Movement
Support resources
CD player, music tracks, books, props, etc.
Resource Cards: Aspects of Creative Movement, Basic Actions, Directions, Levels, Pathways, Spatial Arrangements, Quality, Dynamics, Choreographic Devices and Question Cards.
Move Cube and Basic Actions small flash cards.
PPT slides 12–17.
Aim
To introduce and experience the aspects of Creative Movement: What? Where? With? How? To What?
To introduce and develop a language for learning.
Suggested delivery ideas/content/critical tasks
- Use PPT slide 12 to introduce Aspects of Creative Movement.
- Explain that throughout this session you will use a range of stimuli that you will discuss towards the end of the session.
- Ask the practitioners to role model good practice and remove jewellery, socks and shoes. Emphasise that changing is very much part of PSD and children should change for focus provision and, where appropriate, be barefooted in the hall. Children need to work, at some stage, in bare feet to develop quality and strength.
- Explain that practitioners will initially be working in pairs in an activity that is about making them feel comfortable and developing self-confidence.
- Explain that children in the ‘as they develop’ stage normally work alone, or alongside a practitioner, and when their social skills develop they move to working in pairs.
- Explain that this session does not focus on a specific stage, but looks at developing knowledge and understanding of the language of, and for, learning in Creative Movement and Dance. Matching activities to stages will occur later in the course.
2.1 What?
- Explain that initially children use their existing movement skills in order to move creatively. They also copy or mimic the actions of others, often working in parallel with an adult. Hand out the hierarchy of Gross Motor Skills from ‘Play to Learn’ and ask practitioners to look at the skills in the ‘as they develop’ stage.
- Use an up-tempo track with an easily identifiable rhythm, preferably something well-known and popular in nature.
- Ask practitioners to use the Locomotor skills of walking, running and jumping to react to the piece of music. Reinforce there is no right or wrong answer, anything goes as long as it is walking, jumping, running. Explain this is the ‘What’ aspect of Creative Movement. Stick the ‘What’ resource card on a wall to begin to create a word wall that will build into a language for, and of, learning.
- Discuss what the practitioners are doing. How did they react to the music? Did anyone begin to stylise their movements or add in arm movements?
- Introduce the Basic Dance Actions (BDA): which have they included so far? What do some of them mean? For example, gesture, turn to include rolling. Ask practitioners to develop their responses to include at least one travel, turn, jump, gesture and moment of stillness. Add BDA to the word wall. Explain that BDA runs through all aspects of Creative Movement and dance.
- Discuss the choice of music. Need to stimulate children and present as wide a range of musical genres as possible. Need to take care with tracks with explicit lyrics, but music must inspire children to move. Explain you will discuss later whether it always has to be music.
- Show slide 13 to confirm ‘What’.
2.2 Where?
- Use the same music track as for ‘What’ section.
- Introduce ‘Where’. Add the resource card to the word wall. Discuss Spatial Awareness and the concept of ‘Bubbles’. Add Spatial Awareness and bubbles to word wall: stationary bubble, moving bubbles that stay away from other bubbles, and then connecting/touching/overlapping bubbles. Ask practitioners to create a beginning section where they are in a stationary bubble separate to their partner; then a section where their bubbles move, but do not come into contact with their partner’s bubble; followed by a section when their bubbles can touch, connect, overlap. Talk about safety in relation to bubbles.
- Who might be the first person children share their bubble with? What would the practitioners need to discuss with the children so they work safely with others in the space they have? Once children become aware of space and can start and stop on command, then they can begin to consider other aspects of ‘Where’. Give practitioners different resource cards from the sets Directions, Levels and Pathways. Ask them to include these somewhere in their work. Layer the introduction of these aspects to avoid overload.
- Discuss how the resource cards can be used to both support and challenge learning. Add the Directions, Levels and Pathways resource cards to the word wall.
- Discuss the stimulus for this Creative Movement.
- At several stages during this section discuss health, fitness, well-being and safety and how this type of opportunity could be developed. For example, to learn a short routine that the children practise, consolidate, adapt and amend in continuous provision; use as a warm up activity, etc.
- Use PPT slide 14 to confirm ‘Where’.
2.3 With?
2.3.1 With Others
- Introduce ‘With’. Add the resource card to the word wall.
- Show the ‘Snowman and his friends’ video clip. Discuss how the practitioner could lead a group, or whole class activity, or work alongside less confident children.
- Use either snowman soundtrack or Track 8 PESS KS 2 Dance Audio CD.
- Take some of the steps from the video clip and copy them using a circle formation. Most practitioners suggest things that are too difficult and are more KS2, or even KS3, in nature so you will need to remind them that we are considering children in the Foundation Phase.
- Explain that if children are motivated and want to pursue this style of dancing then the PESS Approach to Teaching Dance Key Stage 2 has some steps and ideas they can try. Welsh cultural folk dance is often taught well and there is a wide range of resources to support practitioners in the delivery of Welsh Folk Dance, so this is not developed any further here. Refer to the further information section on the CD-ROM.