While we know that singing and dancing are a lot of fun; we thought we would look into some of the ways that dancing helps kids in the classroom. After searching the internet, we found this piece of research which came up with a number of overall benefits to dance in schools.
The research showed that schools who use dance as part of their curriculum saw increased test scores. There are a number of things that can help with that, but one of the reasons is that it helps children who learn through doing (kinesthetic learners). There has also been research around giving breaks at regular intervals for physical activity helps concentration. There is also the understanding of how music and maths are related.
The research showed that there were lower school drop out rates for students who had dance as part of their school curriculum. We know from our discos & holiday programs that mixing physical activity with periods of detailed concentration has kids more involved, engaged, and less likely to drop out of the program or session.
The research showed that using dance as part of the school day saw kids being able to transfer knowledge between them and situations. Dance requires whole body awareness and the ability to plan and understand consequence. When dancing as a group, students need to be able to communicate and work as a team to achieve team outcomes (the dance) and they need to be able to support and encourage others whose skills or knowledge might not be up to the level of others.
But it’s not just the students who benefit, teachers were happier and had increased morale. It’s not surprising when you think of these benefits to the kids. On top of that it is easier to see the progress of the kids as a whole through dance and see how they work together on a task.
The research reported better outcomes for children who have special learning needs, who might be from a minority group, and those who are generally underrepresented or underprivileged. It is nice to see where using music to unite kids gives them all a sense of achievement and that they can work together to achieve something as a class group.
And we all know that dancing just makes you feel good.
For more detailed information, please refer to the literature review https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/Research-Art-Works-NDEO.pdf
Bop till you Drop offer school dance programs for school and After School Care. Please contact us for more information on our program and how it can be incorporated at your school or care facility.
