A Moving Child is a Learning Child: The Body-Brain Connection

MHSA Training Conference March 2015 I hear & I forget-see & I remember-I do and I understand-Chinese proverb…Children have to involve their bodies as well as

their minds in order to understand the world & experiences. If he may not engage his body, as well as his mind, he will switch off. Ambron…All children are gifted. Some just open their presents later than other. …Unknown

Rhythm is perceived differently by the brain, so kids are more attentive when you say things musically. Campbell

Shouldn’t Childhood be a Journey & Not a Race…What’s the Hurry? Childhood is life’s 1st gift. Play it for all it’s worth. Play if often. Play to know: Discovery, Wonderment & Delight. Crawl ing/walking , ro l l ing in bo th d ir e c t ions , jumping , sp inning , skipp ing i s r ead ing r ead iness . Blaydes Madigan For Research and More Body-Brain In format ion See Moving and Learning in Workshop Handouts on Web s i t e

Moving and Learning research can be found on the workshop handout link http://www.little-folks-music.com/handouts.htm

Music i s the on ly ac t iv i t y that s t imula te s bo th s ides o f the bra in a t the same t ime . Language comes f rom the r i gh t hemisphere and melody f rom the l e f t - L. Wil l iams

Let’s Get Started… Nursery Rhymes Combined With Movement

Flow-left & right sides working together..Continuous flow. Crossing midline….Let’s make some soup. What should we put in our soup.

Tactile…Hickory Dickory Dock-The mouse squeezed up the clock. Tapped…Patted…Brushed…NO MORE. Core-Distal…Twinkle Little Star…Reach out & Curl in or Reach slowly & curl quickly on last word.

Body-Side…Buckle my Shoe-Version 1 (lie on left side-help little ones-lift & lower right arm & leg w each verse-change sides.) Version 2. Open, close legs moving in a circle…9-10 do it again (spinning on bottom) We see the world clearly when we’re children and then spend the rest of our lives trying to remember what we saw. Garrison Keillor

Cross-Lateral…Miss Mary Mack –criss cross legs. Buttons-arms. Mother-both. Elephant-alternate arms like trunk. High-Reach w/alternating hands while tracking. 4th of July. Drum hands on floor for grounding. Vestibular…Humpty-Dumpty -feet together, rock side to side, arms like windmill. Fall back. All kings horses-kicking legs. Repeat forward n back…Had a tummy fall.-turning on tummy.

Slimy Lizard-send me email for recording…slimy lizard sliming along….furry puppy crawling…dizzy dinosaur lumbering…fun big person walking. Patterns stages of motor development from birth to walking

Body-Side…London Bridge- (Partners in a circle. Rock side to side.) My fair dancers/children. (slide into circle) Build it up with wood & clay.

(slide out of circle) wash it away…bricks & mortar-will not stay…iron & steel-bend & bow…silver & gold-be stolen away….Create verse…

Nursery Rhymes combined wi th movement…Based on the work o f Anne Green Gi lber t o f Creator o f ‘Bra indance ’ .List of 8 patterns- Handouts on web site. Heavy-Light Dinos-Fairies…How do dinos/fairies move? Stomping & tiptoe w/drum…Music-Pantomine-The Comedians Suite op. 26-Kabalevsky Butterfly through the Window…. Butterfly (2) through my window (3x); Oh, fiddlee dee … push! There they go (2) flying through my window (3x), so happy and free… whee! (Children back to back fluttering IN & OUT & push off to fly around.) Susan Salidor

Raindrop song-Cross ing mul t ip l e mid l ines Tune: Twinkle twinkle-slow Falling raindrops. (2) (Up high-down to the ground-Bend at wais t Mid l ine ) Through the air (2) (Twist side to side- Midline through belly button) Splishy splashy raindrops (2) (In front of body-alternating hands up and down. Add feet too. (Not crossing midline, but by alternating stimulating both sides of brain)Here and There (2) (Arms in front together-behind- in front close together-Midlines that runs up both sides of body).

Blow the wind (3) round. Blow the wind (2) down to ground. BTW reach to the sky. BTW, let your scarf fly. Woo. Email me for tune. Carole Peterson Around & around…Up & Down…Sway (3) and STOP. Twist. Ask children for ideas. Scarves & Parachute. Email me for tune. Susan Salidor Follow the Leader-Paper Plates-Steady beat, body and spatial awareness….see web site workshop handouts for benefits and ideas

Sitting- But Not For Long

Highes t fo rm o f ba lance=STILLNESS-can ’ t l earn to s i t s t i l l by prac t i c ing s i t t ing s t i l l .

Conne l l & McCarthy A Moving Chi ld i s A Learn ing Chi ld

Slowly, slowly Zoom-zoom-zoom. Going to moon. If you’d like to take trip, climb aboard rocket ship.Zoom-zoom-zoom. Going to the moon. Youtube.com

Duke of York-experience sense of structure-belonging, concepts of up & down, nuanced concept of in-between.Connell & Mccarthy

Jack and Jill One Potato Ram Sam Sam

Rock & Row

If you have the… Mary had Lamb (shape) (3). Please stand up-sing your name-flap wings-shake friend’s hand-please sit down.(change some motions/movement each time)If you’re wearing (color) today… … Farmer in Dell. Is (name) here today. Stand up, turn around & please sit down. If you are here today. I shut the door…youtube.com

Stand Up-Transitions-Sit Down

When ch i ldren are engaged in swing ing , jumping or any movement based ac t iv i t y , a l so invo lve in an ac t iv i t y whi ch invo lve s sound, such as l i s t en ing to mus i c , s ing ing , fo l lowing bea t wi th c lapp ing or mouth sounds . This prov ides oppor tuni t i e s to work

on audi tory pro c e s s ing & cogn i t iv e ski l l s as we l l as communica t ion and spee ch and language . Voss

Whistle to Stand… Here we go up up up up…down down down…forward, backward, round and round. What is weather (3) outside today…Is it rainy, cold, is it sunny, is there Snow??? What is weather, the weather today? Tune: Waltzing Matiilda. It’s time to clean-up (2). Time to put_____away. So we can____another day..Time to clean up. TUNE: 3 blind mice We’re following leader….Toes…Nose…Pose…Tune: From Peter Pan Touch your head…toes…turn in circle…bend down low…touch shoulders…knees…tickle tummy…sit down please Clap (3)…Tap (3) turn yourselves around….CT jump up from the ground….CT and please sit down … Shoo-Lie-Loo…just from kitchen-SLL…w pan full of ______. Oh (name). SLL Fly away yonder…Google for tune… Moving

Pres choo l e r s can typ i ca l l y hear and fo l low two l e s s ins t ruc t ions than the i r age . Conne l l -McCarthy

Same par t o f bra in proc e s s movement & learn ing . Str i ck . .

What make us th ink, a l so makes us move . Blaydes Madigan…Way we l earn i s through movement . Hannaford…

Slowly, slowly

Zoom-zoom-zoom

Ram sam sam

Walking (4) jump (6) running (6) turn & stop (2) Tune: Are You Sleeping…WALKING w/the DRUM & now we’re done. Tune: Farmer in the Dell We’re Gonna’ Go-go-go (3) and STOP. High-low-leave out words. Skip to my Lou Gallop all around/Listen for sound Form banana, form-form banana. Peel, go bananas/Potato-mash/Corn-Shuck/Orange and squeeze…The Banana or Form Banana Song. youtube.com

Focused Listening

In our visual dot com world there is less opportunity to develop important listening skills. Children simply cannot learn, if they cannot listen. Stein

Wind-Rain w/ portable tape recorder Snowball Toss…bath puffs…Music: Divertimento Mozart

Circles

Sense of community-Social skills-Non Verbal language & spatial awareness-Sequencing & memory through repetitive patterns-Moving to pulse of music for

beat competency, necessary for speaking, walking, cutting w/scissors-awareness of different cultures-working together as group-power of group energy peace & harmony-self-esteem & confidence

All in a circle: walk around this way. All is a circle walk around back the other way. Everybody in. Whoo. Everybody out. Whee,, Clap your hands and stamp your feet and turn yourselves about.. Tune: Camptown races.

Bingo Shoo Turkey Shoo…Circle. OR Some children sitting & some running/both w/instruments….Google or youtube.com

Creative Movement

Ask about events relevant to them. Using seasons as starting point can lead to movement ideas. Can add props & instruments. What did do this Summer…Anyone go to beach/see, hear. Wind….what sounds did it make? How do you think the wind moves or let’s move like the wind…waves…birds….etc…

Tips For Group Management

Allow observers to watch & not be pushed to join the group…Make sure the material is relevant to the children… Provide time for children to explore and add their own ideas…Do not restrict to carpet squares or sitting on bottoms… Stop before they tire.

Relax-Regroup

Music speaks what cannot be expressed. Soothes the mind and gives it rest. Heals the heart and makes it whole. Flows from heaven to the soul… Source unknown

Breathing is a guaranteed never fails, group management tool….Take a deep breath….hiss like snake…growl like lion…balloon breath...THIS is my TRUNK. Google

Kazoo Song…Tune: When You Are in Love. Let’s play our kazoos (2) Stand up & blow. Bend way down low-lean to one side-now turn & hide-let’s march all around-round, round & around-marching all around-STOP when we sit down… (Vibrate bone structure in head energizing brain-helps develop inner voice-planning skills, what do next-music as tool for emotions-helps speech-support air to get sound-creativity is fostered-self concept, can play instrument)

Singing & Moving With Books …Enhance Listening- Book List Workshop Handouts

The world is changing a lot, because of the com & the dot. It’s not new today, or that’s what they say, but friend it really is not. Let us realize that the privilege

to work is a gift. The power to work is a blessing & the love of work is success. D. McKay

Fidgeting-Often trying to concentrate-brain may tire lose focus-wakes up thinking brain & bring back on task=Concentration-try balancing activity Snail Named Whale (Look for tail. Ask children to look for theirs.)There once was a snail named whale. Who couldn’t find the end of its tail (SLOW) 3 spins to the left….3 spins to the right….never failed to help whale find his tail SLOW SPINS “Best way to keep from losing it again? Sit down.”

Cozy Cocoon Tune: Wheels on Bus (1 line holding hands. Spiral in & out few times then add poem)The caterpillar spins a cozy cocoon (3) So the butterfly can fly free… (Spinning slow gives brain time to absorb sensations. Spinning fast important too-stimulates adrenaline and feels good. Children need to go at both speeds.)

Roll Over …Helps develop language skills & get ready for reading by making story time interactive, multisensory experience. And the vestibular stimulation helps children focus and concentrate on the story. Visualization from #3 enhances ability to imagine & relate what see in mind’s eye to others-while solidifying the story in imaginations & memories

1. Children lie on tummies to listen to story. 2. Each time turn page, roll a half turn tummy to back-decide direction ahead to prevent traffic jams. 3. Hard to see while rolling-before & after can have children visualize characters i.e. what color & what looks like. 4. VARIATION-pick key word that repeats a lot to roll over-helps focus on story while building auditory

discrimination. 5. OLDER-stop on side with each page turn-still & straight to work at keeping balance. Requires more coordination,

control and concentration. Can add key word to roll all way over. Children can decide which movement to use. Source: Connell & McCarthy Rolling Song-Tune: Are you Sleeping. (Babies-face to face on chest…knees up (cannonball) side to side, forward to back….Older-on own…side to side and curl up for back and forth) Rolling (4 ) all day long (2) Rolling (6) Sing a rolling song. (2)

Silly Sally Children do downward dog pose, every time hear ‘Upside Down’. Count 1-2-3 & Sit Down. See workshop handout Moving & Learning on website for benefits of inverting head. Source: Gari Stein

Moving and Learning research can be found on the workshop handout link

http://www.little-folks-music.com/handouts.htm

Gari Stein www.little-folks-music.com Garistein@aol.com…FB Music For Little Folks