Write Dance Creative Curriculum JAMS Dulwich College Shanghai Saturday 2nd February 2013

Objectives To give an overview of the ‘Write Dance’ programme To share my experiences To provide an opportunity to work with Write Dance material

Introduction Please introduce yourselves to your colleagues and discuss your own experiences of handwriting. Did you enjoy it? How did you do it? How often did you it?

Learning to Write For some, learning to write can be a challenge. There are two aspects to learning to write: The mental aspect: the ideas, structure, linguist knowledge, organisational skills and concentration The physical aspect: fine motor skills, gross motor skills, hand – eye coordination, ability to be still and control the muscles

Physical Aspects The physical aspects of learning to write demand control of a range of muscles and not just those of the hands. Trunk, shoulder and upper arms. Back and bottom muscles to control sitting position. Coordinated eye muscles.

What is Write Dance? Write Dance is a movement-based method of training children’s fine and gross coordination to develop comfortable, readable, quick and distinctive handwriting. It does not use letters but the shapes of letters, that is, the basic movements. In a creative and playful way children practise all the movements, pressure and speed that together make up our letters.

Music and Movement Music plays a central role in Write Dance. The children love the music and recognise the support and inspiration it gives. Movement also has a central role in Write Dance. It has an emphasis on the movement and rhythm of writing rather than the formation and shape of individual letters.

Creativity Handwriting is a personal and creative form of expression. Through Write Dance, children integrate their whole body in the development of coordination of hands and fingers. With the aid of imaginative drawings, music, rhymes, rhythm and games the conditions for a flowing and joined-up handwriting are created - abstract movements are turned into cursive lines. Write Dance trains the children to move across a page with different speeds and energy and to develop a feel for relations between different letter shapes. Through the body coordinating exercises, the children are trained to balance the body, the eyes and the two halves of the brain.

Benefits of Write Dance Encourages children to use both hands so stimulates both halves of the brain. Children practise the basic movements over their own initial shapes so there is no tracing. The children are encouraged to find their own rhythm and embed it. As writing is intrinsically linked to emotions, Write Dance emphasises this through the use of music. The repetition of movements provides the children with a sense of ‘feeling safe.’

Basic Movements Straight and round are the basic movements and the basic forms of our letters and figures. Through Write Dance they are explored: Straight forms and lines Round forms Circle movements Angled movements Big to small Small to big The ‘eight’ made from two horizontally placed circles that are joined

Organisation of the Write Dance Programme Within the programme there are nine themes. In these nine themes the children practise all the movements and lines needed to write letters. Each theme has a special movement exercise that is trained, played with and worked on by gross and fine coordination exercises. With every theme comes a special piece of music, working as a support and help for the children when it comes to finding the movement, speed and tension. The music encourages them to use their whole body. Every theme has its own imaginative music drawing.

Experiences I have used Write Dance with Year 2 children and most recently with Year 1 Write Dance is flexible and can be incorporated into the curriculum to run alongside your handwriting programme You can use children’s favourite music The children thoroughly enjoy the sessions

The Volcano Movements The singing and the drums Swing both arms straight from head to thighs and bend knees Choir and drums - eruption Throw arms out in the air in all directions Rhythmic drumming-rocks and lava falling down Shake your whole body and stamp your feet Thunder and Lightning Stretch out arms high in the air and breath deeply. Hold breath for a moment and sink down with arms rolling around in round movements. Slowly breathe out. Repeat. Raindrops Bend wrists up in the air move up and down in time to the music

Time to Reflect Please feel welcome to look at the materials available… Write Dance in the Nursery Write Dance More Write Dance