On week three of Galliope classes this year, I noticed a 3-year-old I've taught for two years hopping for the first time. I was unreasonably excited. I rushed over exclaiming "your hopping!" then swooped him up for a hug and a high five.
Hopping is a big deal.
Hopping generally occurs anytime between the ages of 3-5, and it means that the connection between a child's brain and body is maturing. This student was using his proprioception to understand where his limbs were in relation to his body. He is grasping homolateral movement; how to control one side of the body while the other side moves. Hopping also requires balance and strength, and this new skill meant that many things were improving.
Before this dancer could hop, he first needed to learn how to shift his weight, balance on one foot, and learn to jump with two feet down, over, and up. All this movement, especially balancing, indicates how much the vestibular system in his brain matured.
And that's just the physical stuff.
A big smile spread across the boy's face. He had watched the big kids hop all last year while he struggled with jumping. He didn't need to hold anyone's hand anymore just to balance on one foot, he was a big kid now too. He felt proud, and his self-esteem grew that day.
Additionally, exciting evidence mounts supporting the notion that the brain and the body co-develop. Along with other important functions, movement stimulates proteins in the brain which "stimulate the growth of existing nerve cells and increase the number of new nerve cells" (Hannaford, Carla PhD., Smart Moves: Why Learning Is Not All In Your Head ). That means our brain's cells grow and strengthen alongside our muscular cells.
Jumping, balancing, and hopping are a cause for celebration. These little moves are big signs that our young children's mind, body, and spirit are developing.
The day this little boy hopped I was itching to share the good news with his parents, and that desire was the birth of this blog.
This blog is for parents, teachers, and anyone who is interested in the connections between movement and learning. In the blog, I will share concepts and skills my students learn in class, and describe how movement supports all three domains of learning: The physical, the emotional, and the mental. I will share thoughts and links to current peer-reviewed research on the brain-body connection, and invite you to share your thoughts about movement and education.
To learn more about Karen Hogan and Galliope, go to Galliope.com
