Synopsis: Write dance is an innovative and exciting programme, widely used across Europe as a way of introducing handwriting using music, movement and exercise. It has been found especially helpful for children with special educational needs, from learning difficulties to dyspraxia. In Write Dance in the Nursery, early year practitioners are provided with a package of songs, stories and role play ideas designed especially for their settings. Supporting child-initiated play within the foundation curriculum and the Birth to Three Matters framework, these provide and introduction to the nine themes in Write Dance. The Write dance movements provide the children with a strong foundation for writing, and help them to feel happy and comfortable with their bodies, and this book and CD resource provides everything the early practitioner needs to implement this exciting approach.

Review: Some fun and well thought out activities are included in this book. Handwriting can be so boring not only for the child but, for the teacher too. This book and the ideas it contains will certainly change this, by combining music and movement (where the children ran around the hall moving their bodies in time with the music) with learning how to write. The book introduces the word ‘scrimble’, which means working on a writing surface by scribbling, wriggling, doodling, circling, experiencing and experimenting. The teacher is expected to demonstrate all the movements, which will involve dancing around the room. So if you feel you are unable to do this, this is not the book for you. But, in reality, I challenge any nursery teacher not to want to join in. It looks great fun.

2008-06-22