Song-Experience Games in the Brain-Compatible Classroom
Coach: Brooke Tippett Thompson, Helen C. Peirce School of International Studies Adaptable for grade levels: PreK-4 Key Subject Area(s): Art, Music, Drama Also incorporates: Language Arts
Study Group Teaching Method Description:
Incorporate “song movement” games and structured play into any classroom with this innovative strategy that leads to enhanced academic and social-emotional growth. Team Members carefully choose song games that promote language and speech development while also incorporating movement that engages all the learning modalities. This results in an increased ability to focus, a critical step in their development. As students experience the joyfulness of this play, they become more open to other learning and are comforted by this safe and nurturing environment.
Specifically, this Study Group will focus on these three main components: 1) the study of the brain and how teaching children in accordance with how they develop cognitively directly impacts academic growth; 2) understanding the importance of social-emotional development to stabilize children and its relationship to academic achievement; and 3) using specific song/movement games and structured play to construct brain-compatible learning situations which stabilize children and help to develop internal motivation.
Teachers must be willing to play and sing in the study group and with their students in their classroom!
Illinois State Standards and Benchmarks:
This cross-curricular teaching approach addresses standards not only in
music and dance, but also all other areas such as the language arts,
math, and social-emotional learning. Fine Arts and Social-Emotional
Learning standards addressed are:
Fine Arts Goal 25: Know the language of the arts Fine Arts Goal 26: Through creating and performing, understand how works of art are produced Social-Emotional Learning Goal 1: Develop self-awareness and self-management skills to achieve school and life success Social-Emotional Learning Goal 2: Use social awareness and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive relationships
About the Coach:
Brooke Tippett Thompson is a 2008
Golden Apple Award Winner, is Nationally Board Certified, and has worked
extensively with adult learners to share her passion for music instruction.
Brooke holds many leadership positions including mentoring music teachers
through the National Board process, service on her Local School Council for the
past six years, Chair of her school’s Professional Development Committee, and
assisting the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and
Educational Testing Service on a national level. This is Brooke’s second year
leading a CFE Study Group.
Meeting Times:
The Study Group meeting
schedules are determined together at the Study Group Program Kick-Off Dinner on
Thursday, June 4, 2009.
