DOCUMENT RESUME ED 320 869 SP 032 385 AUTHOR Stinson, William J., Ed. TITLE Moving and Learning for the Young Child. Presentations from the Early Childhood Conference "Forging the Linkage between Moving and Learning for Preschool Children" (Washington, D.C., December 1-4, 1988). INSTITUTION American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, Reston, VA. SPONS AGENCY American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, Reston, VA. National Dance Association.; Council on Physical Education for Children. REPORT NO ISBN-0-88314-449-2 PUB DATE Dec 88 NOTE 270p. AVAIL,%BLE FROMCOPEC/NASPE, American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 1900 Association Drive, Reston, VA 22091. PUB TYPE Collected Works - Conference Proceedings (021) EDRS PRICE MFO1 Plus Postage. PC Not Available from EDRS. DESCRIPTORS *Child Development; Dance; Early Childhood Education; *Health Promotion; Integrated Curriculum; *Movement Education; *Physical Education; Physical Fitness; Play; Student Centered Curriculum ABSTRACT These papers focus on four themes: (1) young children: active learners; (2) physical education: the forgotten aspect of early childhood education; (3) dance: bringing movementas art into the early childhood curriculum; and (4) the child asan energetic, moviag learner. Common threads of emphasis were woven through the content of the presentations: movement is learning for all children; movement is both an ehd in itself and a means to an end; the child is central to the learning process; movement and learning are for all children; and education for young children isan integrated curriculum. (JD) ********************************************$t************************* Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *******************x************************************************** Moving and Learning for the Young Child William J. Stinson, Ed. 6 U.S. DEPARTMENT DF EDUCATION Once of Educatrohat Research and improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 0 This document haS been reproduced as received from the person or Organdabon Ordpnahno a 0 Minor changes nave been made to =prove reprOduchon Qua ldr "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS POMIS Of wee* 01 0 potions Mal ft! ,n tnisdoc a MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRAN FED BY ment do no: necessarily represent °Mom OE RI posnon or policy 4a21.21.-- TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER ;ERIC)." kp cr, A AILABLE ct (1-\ Presentations from the Early Childhood Conference, 'C "Forging the Linkage Between Moving and Learning for kr) Preschool Children," Washington, DC, December 1-4, 1988. ,.....9 Moving and Learning for the Young Child Edited by William J. Stinson Emporia State University Presentations from the Early Childhood Conference, "Forging the Linkage Between Moving and Learning for Preschool Children," Washington, D.C., December 1-4, 1988. 0 © 1990 American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance 1900 Association Drive, Reston, VA 22091 ISBN 0-88314-449-2 4 Purposes of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance The American Alliance is an educational organization, structur,:d for the purposes of supporting, encouraging, and providing assistance to member groups and their personnel throughout the ration as they seek to initiate, develop, and conduct programs in health, leisure, and movement-related activities for the enrichment of human life. Alliance objectives include: 1. Professional growth and developmentto support, encourage, and provide guidance in the development and conduct of programs In health, leisure, and movement-related activities which are based on the needs, interests, and inherent capacities of the individual in today's society. 2. Communicationto facilitate public and professional understanding and appreciation of the importance And value of health, leisure, and movement-related activities as they contribute toward human well-being. 3. Researchto encourage and facilitate research which will enrich the depth and scope of health, leisure, and moement-related activities, and to disseminate the findings to the profession and other interested and concerned publics. 4. Standards and guidelinesto further the continuous deelupment and evaluation of standards within the profession for personnel and programs in health, leisure, and movement-related activities. 5. Public affairsto coordinate and administer a planned program of professional, public, and governmental relations that will improve education in areas of health, leisure, and movemer 'ated activities. 6. To conduct such other activities as shall be apt _owed by the Board of Governors and the Alliance Assembly, provided that the Alliance shall not engage in any activity which would be inconsistent with the status of an educational and charitable organization as defined in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or any successor provision thereto, and none of the said purpostshall at any time be deemed or construed to be purposes other than the public benefit p "rposes and objectives consistent with such educational and charitable 't..itus. Bylaws, Article ill :-) 111 DEDICATED TO Margie Hanson for a lifetime of service to children and in appreciation for her contributions to children's education through movement and dance. 6 v Preface Very few accomplishments are the results of one person's efforts. More often they are completed because one person has a dream and dares to speak of that dream with others. In the interaction one learns that others share the dream and are willing to put ideas into actions to make the dream a reality. Thus, the early childhood conference, "Forging the Linkage Between Moving and Learning for Preschool Children," was a dream brought to fruition by the combined efforts of persons in the related disciplines of early childhood education, physical education, and dance. These professionals shared a common belief in the education of young children through movement and dant.e, a belief in the linkage between learning to move and moving to learn, and a belief in the interrelatedness of all learning. With these shared beliefs, four areas of focus emerged for the conference: Young Children: Active Learners Physical Education: The Forgotten Aspect of Early Childhood Education Dance: Bringing Movement as Art into the Early Childhood Curriculum The Child as an Energetic, Moving Learner From the initial discussions of the planning committee to the last minute review for presenters and keynote speakers, common threads of emphasis were woven through the content. The interwoven threads included: movement is learning for all children; movement is both an end in itself and a means to an end; the child is central to the learning process; movement and learning are for all children; all children are capable of learning; education for young children is an integrated curriculum. Moving and Learning for the Young Child is a collection of the presentations given at the early childhood conference, "Forging the Linkage Between Moving and Learning for Preschool Children," which was held in Washington, D.C. December 1-4, 1988. For persons whc attended the conference this collection will serge as a reminder of what was, hopefully, a most significant professional involvement, and its vii reading will rekindle the belief in the importance ofmovement and learning for young children. For those unable to attend the conference, the text will be food for thought relativeto the education of young children. It is hoped that its reading will sparka desire to form linkages with other professionals to provide better educationfor all children. Working together we can make a difference in the lives ofyoung children and thus, for them, a better future anda better world. n viii L Acknowledgements Deepest appreciation is extended to the members of the planning committee for their hours and months of dreaming, sharing, and daring. Special thanks to Donk Wolverton and Mary I ewis of the Head Start Bureau for keeping "the child" as the central focus of discussions and to Barbara Willer of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) for her ability to bring order out of chaos, to Carolyn Tate and Hooshang Bagheri for ideas that stimulated thought and fresh approaches to viewing our mission. lanks to David Galiahue, a-sistant conference director, for his attention to detail and his ability to synthesize, and to Margie Hanson for her ideas, for her love, and for always being there when needed. The conference would have remained only a dream, and the planning committee only dreamers, without the work of committee persons who translated into action, the plans for the conference. Thanks is extended to all committee members and persons from the Alliance staff, with special thanks to Ray Stinar and Mary Blann, for hours of work prior to and throughout the conference, thanks for going .he extra mile, always with a smile. Finally, thanks to all presenters, without whom neither the conference nor this publication would be possible. A professional dream became a reality thanks to all of you. Shirley Ann Holt/Hale Conference Director r) ix Table of Contents Preface, vii ShirleyAnn Holt/Hale Mission Statement, 1 Introduction, 3 Bill Stinsoa SECTION 1 THE YOUNG CHILD Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, 5 CHAPTER 1 Dualities and Children and Families, 7 Carol Seefeldt CHAPTER 2The Linkage Between Movement and Learning, 17 Maida Riggs SECTION HTHE YOUNG CHILD