The Power of Movement in Early Childhood

Heather Lee has been leading the Movement and Drama Studio at Hudson Street for 20 years. It is a place that deeply honors children’s play and creativity. Every year, new ideas and stories are developed and revealed. In the first half of the fall, using inspiration from the book “Owl Babies” by Martin Waddell, Heather gradually shared weekly “chapters” of the story. She laid out a piece of brown fabric and said, “This is a story that takes place in a forest. I’m using this brown fabric to be the forest.” The children shared many ideas of what is in a forest- lions, tigers, trees, mud, monkeys and so much more. Incorporating imagination while listening to stories provides the base for sharing knowledge and becomes an agreed-upon schema for children to play.

Play is an important ingredient in early childhood learning that encourages young learners to collaborate, problem solve, and make sense of their experience in the world. At WMS, Movement and Drama gives children the freedom to explore, dance and create within a structured environment - a key component in both Montessori and Reggio Emilia practices. 

In the Movement and Drama room, Heather brings stories to life by giving children the prepared environment to act out scenes in a way that allows children to feel as though they are inside a story. For example, while they read  “Owl Babies”, two large paper owl puppets flew overhead with the help of Heather’s hands. They are looking for a place to build their nest. One child ingeniously made his arms into the branches of a tree - an idea that is adopted by the other children. A new game for the group is created and the big paper puppets begin to land on each child!

Play and imagination are essential to a child's development, allowing them to explore their desires and ideas—whether it's pretending to be a dinosaur, a zookeeper, or hosting a tea party. In the Movement and Drama shared space, children learn important social skills, such as how to communicate their needs and negotiate with others. Instead of expressing frustration with a general complaint, they practice using polite and specific language, like "May I have five pom-poms, please?" While conflicts can arise such as disagreements over toys or rules about not throwing objects, these moments help young learners navigate emotions and practice self-regulation, fostering both social and emotional growth.

 

Click here to continue reading about the Movement and Drama journey for our young learners!