hands-on learning enriches language and motor development

Hands-on Learning  Enriches Language and motor development

Tapping rhythms (check out the body percussion posts) is important because when the hands are activated, there is more effective learning.


I encourage you ALWAYS to us the “hands-on” approach to learning.  

For instance, learning about eighth notes...how much more fun and experiential to walk the eighth notes...walk the quarter notes and then contrast with eighth notes.  Right away, we feel the difference!  



Movement and rhythm stimulate the frontal lobes and enrich language and motor development (Brewer & Campbell, 1991)....so that means move the rhythms you teach.  Find ways to feel the rhythm on your body, with your body, through your feet, using your hands, using a mallet.  


Be creative!!!

Playing handdrums

You need :)  a class set of hand drums.  


I invested in a large bin of small hand drums (20 drums each about 8 inches across) from Empire Music many years ago.  Now I have a hand drum for each child and each parent in my under 3's program.  And it's soooo much fun!

We play drums to:

1.  explore using our hands in a variety of ways to create a sound on the drum (tickly, rub, scratch)



2.  explore using various words to describe what our hands are doing (scrape, rub, knock, tickle, circle, tiptoe)



3.  explore using the drum in unconventional ways using our imagination (drag, roll, skate, fly, blow, wear it like a hat, eat from your drum, eat your soup, eat your cereal)

Tap, tap, tap your drum

Tap, tap, tap your drum

Tap, tap, tap your drum

and now let's stop!

What is an Orff teacher?

What is an Orff Teacher?

 

Me being passionate about something Orff-y

It always sounds so weird.  Orff.


Orff is a participatory art. 



Orff teachers engage people around them and involve them in whole body, whole heart, whole self music using instruments, voice, movement and dance.  


Orff teachers are interested in the process of creation with children.






Music and movement are inseparable.






When I was in university studying to become a classroom teacher I took music education courses and read about Orff. It sounded simplistic.  There was no life in the readings.  


I never experienced the MAGIC of Orff as an undergrad.






The energy, creativity and transformative effect of this approach to teaching music was just not conveyed adequately in ANY book or article I read.  

None of the professors I studied under used the approach and none of them had the unique qualities I experienced when attending Orff workshops and courses after I graduated.




I was never exposed to this way of learning or teaching until after I completed all my teaching practica and had already received my Bachelor of Education degree.




I can only imagine how my entire experience of university might have been changed had I been in the presence of a real Orff teacher, Orff instruments and Orff techniques and creative approach to teaching.



Better late than never, right?!

What if...

What if...

  


What if something really amazing was just about to happen?

What if you were stronger than you thought?

What if it was safe to open up your heart?

What if it was safe to take that risk?

What if it was happening FOR you,  not TO you?

What if you let go of the emotional charge around the money?

What if you just focussed on one thing until it was complete?

What if you focused on creation instead of completion?

What if you allow a greater infusion of creativity to enter your life right now?