How Child Development Affects Preschool Dance

The Importance of Understanding Child Development

When you understand child development, so many things change in your children’s dance classes. ⁣

First, you’ll see your young students differently. I can remember when I first started teaching preschool dance. I expected to go in and teach a mini ballet class. I thought my students would stand in lines, wait their turns, and work hard just like my older students had.⁣

Boy, was I in for a surprise!⁣

Now I Know Better

I know that toddlers and preschoolers are learning so much about the world around them. ⁣

I know something as simple as the tape on the marley floor can be far more interesting than joining the rest of class for warmup. I know these students are still developing language and communication skills. I know they don’t yet have emotional regulation. (So if they throw a tantrum, it’s not always their fault.) I know separation anxiety is a very real and legitimate fear for some at this age.⁣

Understanding a bit of child development has given me more compassion and patience with this very young age group. It changed the way I planned for and taught my preschool dance classes.⁣

Understanding child development also helps us to understand WHY role-playing and imagination keep preschoolers’ attention. A young child’s world is filled with wonder. The part of their brains responsible for logical thinking hasn’t developed yet. ⁣

Things that are magical and make-believe are very REAL to them. To a 10-year-old, you can explain why it’s important to do pliés in class, for example. To a 3-year-old, you have to meet them in their world if you want them to pay attention and participate. Any form of technique has to be FUN. It has to spark their imaginations.

Young children develop so quickly that the attention span and communication skills of a 4 year old will be noticeably more advanced than that of a 3 year old. For some 4 year olds, this may still be their first classroom experience.

Four year olds are still working on concepts such as following directions, taking turns, and sharing, but you will likely be able to spend less time teaching classroom etiquette and more time teaching movement when you compare a 4 year old class with a 3 year old class. They are also continuing to progress in their physical coordination and self-awareness.

Preschoolers cannot think from another’s point of view, so things like sharing and waiting turns will still be hard for for preschoolers of any age. This will be especially true, however of your youngest preschoolers.

Motor control is something all of your preschoolers will be working on. You will likely notice a big difference as your students get older, from year to year. Four year olds have increased motor control compared with three year olds, for example.

Like three year olds:

Preschoolers LOVE stories.
They have very vivid imaginations.
We can encourage appropriate behavior by teaching classroom etiquette and continually reminding our students how to behave correctly in a classroom.
We can encourage engagement by using stories and themes (whether within each activity or in the entire class).
We can encourage good behavior by giving opportunity for choice from time to time and ample attention to positive behavior.
We can help them learn to better cope with their feelings by giving them activities in which they name and label different emotions.

The Best Way to Teach Preschoolers Dance

If you teach dance to preschoolers and either haven’t had a lot of experience with young children, or simply feel like there is more you could be doing for things like keeping your students’ attention and managing classroom behavior, our Teacher Certification Course in Teaching Preschool Dance may be just what you need. This course takes you step-by-step through the development of preschoolers as it relates to movement and dance. It also walks you through exactly how to teach this young age group.

Level up your teaching