Write Dance?

[Guest]

hi all,

 

my school have decided to do write dance, they are buying the video, book ,cd etc and i have heard lots about it but never done it before.

 

can any one share some light on what it is exactly and what the children do?

 

also what are your views on it? is it any good?

 

 

cheers

clare

[Sue R]

Hi clare!

 

Afraid I don't know anything about it , but sounds interesting. Not much use am I? please post, anyone with info!

 

Love your avatar

 

Sue

[Guest]

Hi Clare,

 

I recently attended a Write Dance seminar with the lovely lady who originated the scheme (name escapes me at the moment). It was really inspiring, and the most important message of the day is that it is not a scheme to follow slavishly, but to adapt to suit you and your children, doing with it as you see fit.

 

I love it, and can really see the sense of large, whole body movements translating into smaller handwriting shapes. One of the dances, the 'lazy 8' has really opened my eyes to just how much we expect of our young children (4/5 year olds), as they have really struggled to make the central crossover point when doing the pen & paper exercise (ie. the centre of the 8), tending to go round & round in a big oval. How can we expect them to cope with writing such a variety of letters to make up 1 sentence when they cannot yet manage this one shape?

 

We do write dance every monday morning - in hall & on paper, and I also use it just in the classroom or outside as often as I can in those odd 2 or 3 minutes you sometimes get - & the children really love it - it's got a good structure so they feel safe, & can copy exactly what I do if they want, but I always say that they can use their own ideas too, so the more confident children can build upon the basic moves and extend the dances imaginatively.

 

Anyway, I think I'm waflfing a lot without much hard content here, do do do have a go!

 

Dianne xxx

[Susan]

Dianne that sounds wonderful!

 

I saw the materials recommended on another course and bought it for our school. However, I found it difficult to integrtae into our already busy day and passed it on to my yr1 colleague who had also seen it. She uses it with her class and I recently purchased additional handbooks so that each year 1 teacher had their own copy.

 

I wish I could have had some 'training' as you have done and used it in Reception more successfully. It was originally designed by dutch(?) lady for 6-8 year olds to learn to write, as they don't tend to start school until 6 on the Continent, I was happy to pass it on to yr1!

 

Susan

[mundia]

we aso have the write dance video but as yet Ive not had time to look at it. So you have remeined me that I must.

[bubblejack]

Is Write Dance suitable for pre-schoolers. I am always looking for different ways to present the curriculum in an informal way. We use Brain Gym exercises and tapes that encourage writing in the air. The children are very receptive to these action exercises.

[Susan]

Hi Bubblejack,

I think you'd need to adapt it a lot and its quite expensive.

The publishers are www.puddleducks.co.uk

 

Which brain gym resources do you have?

they are probably as useful.

[Guest]

hi ya

thanks for all the replys i think it could be really good so im keen to try it out .i suppose i just need to get in there and try it with my little darlings and see if it makes any impact.

[bubblejack]

Susan I just have some simple shoulder and armexercises where children can cross their mid-line. I also have a maths tape from Ark Music. The music is so catchy with lots of drawing numbers in the air. It is one of the childrens favourites and mine. Involves counting forwards ,backwards ,in pairs,modelling the position of hands to a question clock.Many of our children can count forwards so this tape is more challenging and interesting because it involves marching etc.

[Guest]

Hi Bubblejack

what is the Ark music tape called? I am always looking for maths activities to do as a small group and this sounds as if it could be useful!

Linda

[Lorna]

Is anyone who is using the write dance scheme in the Hampshire, Berkshire area?

I really would love to have look at the scheme and see it in action....

Have tried to get a copy on approval but luck duck don't work this way.

Is there anyone who can help... and I can come and visit?

 

L

[Guest]

Hi Claire

I went on a one day course run by George Robinson who publishes Write Dance. It is www.luckyduck .co.uk. He was really good .We had a practical session in the afternoon when we did some of the tracks. It is suggested that the children get used to the track and the movements before having any mark making tools in their hands. Most of it encourages using one ineach hand It was a fantastic day It really is quite liberating to use both hands at once. I am sure it can be adjuted for nursery children and we are going to use it.

Best of Lucuk Fran alias Thomas (I didn't realise when i first joined the forum that the user name was supposed to be my name!!!!)

[Susan]

Hi

Must have had a brain block when I put in puddleducks!

Wonder where I got that from

 

Interesting that you have had some training, I'm sure that would make all the difference!

 

I think you can change your user name if you want to- look in your control panel at the top of the screen. Steve changed mine for me a long time ago, but it is up to you what you prefer to use!

[Steve]

Hi Fran -

I can change your membername for you if you'd like. Fran's gone I'm afraid, but if you'd like something similar, just do a search in the 'Members' area and come up with something suitable that's not taken, then let me know.