Sunday, February 22, 2009

The Importance of a Good Dance Curriculum

By Sarah Wilkiamson

Factors that you should think about when you are looking for dance classes for your child; first and most important is whether the school has a good quality dance curriculum. The curriculum will make all the difference to whether you child will advance or just give up on their dance lessons.

Consider the challenges of teaching young children: Teaching young children presents its own set of challenges. When you are contemplating dance lessons for your child you will need to understand the specific needs of your child regarding their age and learning abilities. When you have established this, you can better access a dance school curriculum that is just right for them.

For starters, everyone learns differently. A teacher without suitable training will usually just try to train everyone at their speed and make up the classes as they go. A curriculum is basically a learning plan, allowing the teacher to modify for different student. Young children, in particular, need some entertainment blended into their classes to keep them interested.

Boredom and frustration are also factors when teaching young children: this is very detrimental to learning. Mixing entertainment with learning helps to prevent this. It breaks up lessons into smaller portions enabling a young child to learn better. With a fun curriculum the children will be able to focus on the dance routines and not get bored and frustrated.

Realizing potential: at this age many children have potential but are not aware of it. You might not really know this until your child gives the dance lessons a try. A curriculum that is especially geared for young students will allow your child to realize their potential. Once they can do this you never know how far they will go. It will also give them added confidence in other learning fields as well as dance.

A quality dance instructor will also take the learning environment into careful consideration. It needs to be suitable for both the needs of the students and the teacher- not just the cheapest hall or room that could be found. Things like temperature, noise, toilets, parking and security are just some of the factors that need to be considered- especially when creating a comfortable surrounding for children.

The dance curriculum must have activities that are fun and will develop young muscles. These activities are all done to music so that the students will develop a sense of rhythm, which is important in dance. Activities ought to have a lesson that encourages creativity. This will assist your child to make use of their creative skills.

So, not all dance schools are the same. A good curriculum is a starting point in finding the right school. You should check out a few different options before you make a decision, just like you would with any other important decision. Remember that something like dance should be a great experience for your child and may influence many aspects of their life to come. - 15438

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