The Impact of an In-school Dance Program on At-risk Preschoolers’ Social-Emotional Development

Drawing from and Expanding their Toolboxes: Preschool Teachers’ Traditional Strategies, Unconventional Opportunities, and Novel Challenges in Scaffolding Young Children’s Social and Emotional Learning During Remote Instruction Amidst COVID-19

“…The finding, that the three SEL strategies were implemented by all of the teachers, is not surprising because they have also been found to be the most common among teachers during the pre-COVID-19 in-person instruction (e.g., Ng & Bull, 2018 ; Rajan & Aker, 2020 ; Rakap et al, 2018 ; Razza et al, 2015 ). Notably, these strategies corroborate the current knowledge of what is known about effective methods for supporting SEL in young children, such as using visuals (Kidder & McDonnell, 2017 ), engaging in singing, book reading, playing games, using puppets (Ho & Funk, 2018 ; Hollingsworth & Winter, 2013 ), and applying non-verbal techniques involving physical activities (e.g., dancing, expressive body movement) (Rajan & Aker, 2020 ; Razza et al, 2015 ; Thom, 2010 ). The teachers’ various developmentally appropriate practices involving the three most common strategies identified also align with the social and emotional learning goals embedded in the CASEL’s ( 2020 ) five core competencies (i.e., self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, responsible decision-making).…”

“…Because of its importance, social and emotional skills have been emphasized in the classroom (e.g., Ho & Funk, 2018 ; Tominey et al, 2017 ). Some of the most socially and culturally appropriate strategies implemented by teachers to scaffold preschool children’s SEL include using visuals (Kidder & McDonnell, 2017 ); engaging in singing, book reading, playing games, and modeling prosocial behaviors (Ho & Funk, 2018 ); and applying non-verbal techniques involving physical activities (e.g., dance, yoga poses, expressive body movement) (Rajan & Aker, 2020 ; Razza et al, 2015 ; Thom, 2010 ). Researchers have further categorized commonly used strategies into broad groups (e.g., Hollingsworth & Winter, 2013 ; Ng & Bull, 2018 ).…”

The Relationship between Executive Functions and Dance Classes in Preschool Age Children

“…For example, a choreography teacher can ask his/her students about the mood of some melody, how animals can be imitated in dancing, and so on. Such free and entertaining dancing can contribute to the harmonization of emotional states and communicative development, as well as to the development of the imagination [38,39]. Meanwhile, the development of executive functions requires a continuous challenge [3,27].…”

Biodanza and Other Dance Forms as a Vehicle for Social-Emotional-Learning in Schools: A Scoping Review

“…In the 18 studies included in this scoping review (not including systematic reviews or the meta-analysis), all the dance interventions were claimed to be effectively used as a vehicle for SEL in the classroom (see Appendix A, Table 1). Outcomes included: increased sense of belonging (Kreutzman et al, 2018); increased social skills (Masadis et al, 2019); psychological engagement and socioemotional functioning (Archbell et al, 2019); violence prevention (Koshland et al, 2004); improved emotional responses and neurohormone modulation (Jeong et al, 2005); increased creative thinking and problem-solving responses (Lai Keun & Hunt, 2006); increased self-esteem and well-being (Connolly et al, 2011); reduced internalizing problems, and increased self-trust (Duberg et al, 2016); social engagement (Nelson et al, 2017); social competence (Lobo & Winsler, 2006); dance as a teaching tool (Sharma et al, 2020); social-emotional development (Rajan & Aker, 2020); and accelerated learning of skills via dance (Golding et al, 2016).…”

“…For example, in the preschool age bracket, a study by Rajan and Aker (2020) found that, "31% of preschoolers who participated in in-school dance developed a stronger sense of self and 18% of preschoolers who participated in dance established stronger friendships with their peers" (p. 6), as measured by the four sub-scales for social-emotional development, under the Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP). For Kindergarten, the work of colleagues (2013, 2016) has shown significant changes in self-regulation as measured by cortisol saliva post Biodanza intervention, though sample sizes were small, affecting the ability to generalize these results.…”