Playdancing

Playdancing is a creative movement program developed to foster confidence, creativity and problem-solving skills in children aged three to eight. The book is written primarily for teachers' use in the classroom. The book is geared toward educators and the activities do not require experience with dance. The only prerequisite for its contents is a desire to discover the creative potential children possess and to guide them in their ability to utilize their creativity.

Playdancing discusses the developmental stages of early childhood and the specific skills necessary for creativity to flourish. Lesson plans and examples of activities are outlined for each stage of development.

Each activity listed includes an objective, the materials needed, suggestions for incorporating new activities into an already in-use curriculum and a description of the activity. The activities are designed to increase spatial self-awareness, improve language ability and encourage interpersonal skills.

Chapters include: The Dancing Child: The Magical Link Between Movement and Creativity; The Playdancing Program and How It Works; The Growing Child: Looking at Development; The Creative Process; Discovering the Body; Self-Awareness: Who Am I?; Language: How Do I Tell You How I Feel?; Interpersonal Skills: Getting to Know You; The Talented Child: Identifying Giftedness. Includes 22 illustrations.

Diane Lynch Fraser, Ed.D., has set up programs in early childhood education for several universities in New York and has developed curriculum guidelines on this subject for the state. She is the author of Danceplay: Creative Movement for Very Young Children.