A forward-thinking approach to movement and development is benefiting children with additional learning needs at the Canterbury Children's Centre in Bradford.
The centre has just completed its involvement in a three-year research project centred on movement play, led by the charity Jabadao, the National Centre for Movement Learning. Launched in 2002, the project focused on supporting the movement play of children with special needs.
Movement was one of seven themes already being explored by Canterbury Children's Centre as part of another long-term project, funded by the European Excellence Fund. This project was set up to explore the impact of a more creative curriculum on children's achievement.
Jabadao approached Canterbury Children's Centre as partners to work with them on their research project, following a successful collaboration back in 2001 when a resident artist from Jabadao, Chris Hoy, spent a short period of time at the setting.
Chris joined at the start of the European-funded project, specialising in movement and stories. Now a puppeteer and active learning specialist, she believes strongly that children with special educational needs have much to gain from regular movement play.
She says, 'Often children with additional needs are carried around and sat in chairs in a way that supports them physically but is not conducive to expressing feelings, independence or building relationships. They can become locked in their own worlds with the people caring for them, until you change their environments and how they relate to people and space.'
She adds, 'It's not a quick process, but movement enables children to express themselves.'
Success stories
Chris worked closely with former specialist nursery nurse Elaine Boyd in developing movement play at the centre. Chris and Elaine were joined in 2003 by Helen Pattinson, now inclusion manager for children with additional needs, who had prior experience of Jabadao sessions from her work at a previous setting.
Initially there was limited space to move around at the centre, but fortunately the project coincided with rebuilding work and staff pushed for suitable facilities for movement sessions. 'With movement it is sometimes difficult to persuade people to make it a priority, as there is no end product such as a display or pictures,' says Helen.
The centre now has a landscaped outdoor area with challenges such as a small hill for children to roll down, and a dedicated movement room, similar to a small dance studio, with a mirrored wall where children can watch themselves move, roll and crawl to their heart's content.
A cupboard in the studio holds popular props for movement play, including Swiss exercise balls, giant scrunchies, scarves and ribbon sticks.
Canterbury Children's Centre has places for 16 children with additional learning needs, which range from behavioural difficulties to Down's syndrome. Movement is often incorporated into each child's individual educational plan. There are three dedicated members of staff.
Helen and Chris believe the benefits of movement play are wide-ranging, from physical development including improved bladder control, to confidence, communication skills and relationship-building. They tell anecdotes of children they have seen thrive through regular movement sessions.
Chris says, 'I worked with one child who spent ages throwing toys all over the place. However, in the movement room he could just concentrate on himself, watching himself in the mirror. He loved sound, so I would take one or two musical instruments in there, but I had to show him that to make those sounds he would have to move. Instead of getting negative feedback for throwing things, all he received in the movement studio was positive affirmation.'
Chris tells another story of a child who, prior to the movement sessions, found it difficult to interact with staff and other children, 'He would not communicate with anyone. He was surly and quite difficult to deal with. But in this room he became a different person and began to shout out things.
It's as if children find another part of themselves.'
Staff join in
Movement sessions are child-led, although staff set the scene with background music, catering to the individual tastes of the child as much as possible. Typically, a small group of children will go into the studio where they will be free to explore their surroundings, roll on their stomachs and move their bodies.
'A child can be less distracted in the studio and better able to focus both on the environment and on himself without using transitional objects,' says Chris, 'The possibility of building or strengthening relationships is heightened.'
Sometimes no materials are used in the movement sessions, but at other times children play with Lycra, scrunchies, hoops and balls found in the props cupboard. Staff will often join in by mirroring a child's movements as they crawl across the room or roll along the floor.
'Mirroring a child tells them that what they are doing is right,' says Helen. 'It reinforces a child's confidence, and in the case of a child with additional needs it may help them vocalise more, make more sounds or make them calmer. It also helps to build relationships and trust between children and adults.'
She adds, 'Mirroring also makes the movement room a level playing field. If all a child can do is roll, then that's all the practitioner can do as well.'
A typical session lasts 'as long as a piece of string', says Chris. 'The children will let you know when they have had enough. Some become fidgety or they will pick up their socks and shoes and bring them over to you!'
All children join in during movement sessions. Often staff will mix children together, choosing groups carefully according to individual temperaments and personalities.
'You do have to be cautious,' says Chris. 'Children with special educational needs can be wary or intimidated by mainstream children, some of whom will try to test boundaries. However, I remember one integrated session where a child recognised that another child could not move around as freely. He took one of the soft toys and ran it along the other child's back so that child could also experience the physical contact.'
Chris and Helen worked with a number of practitioners at the Canterbury Children's Centre during the research project, leading inset training and professional development, and so influencing practice across the centre.
The research project found that taking part in movement sessions gave staff more confidence to do different things with children, helped them get to know each child better and strengthened relationships between practitioners and children.
The research project also highlights the benefits children at the centre have experienced through movement play and concludes that 'movement activities are now seen as an underpinning for all learning'. As a result, new practitioners are given training in movement play from experienced staff at the centre, so children will continue to experience the benefits long after the project's conclusion.
Further information
* www.jabadao.org
* www.canterburycc. co.uk
Case study: a language of movement
* Inclusion manager Helen Pattinson describes how one child flourished through movement play.
'Haroon started attending the nursery on a part-time resourced provision place for special educational needs children in January 2003. He was often distressed and had to be comforted and supported much of the time.
'During the spring term I used a range of strategies to engage with Haroon.
At this time I began to be part of the Jabadao research project.
'In summer 2003 we began movement play sessions with Haroon. He was very cautious and observed from a distance. By September, he had begun to interact and develop a relationship with me, but was still finding it difficult to sustain and compete for my attention in a small group situation.
'By October Haroon was initiating more and more interactions. He would explore the environment, look at any objects or photographs and then return to engage in non-verbal communication with me.
'In January I felt we had reached a turning point. Haroon had begun to take control of the relationship and understood my mirroring and reflecting back his actions. Humour and trust had developed as well. Haroon would put on one of my shoes and one of his own!
'In March 2004 Haroon finally put his tummy on the floor, for the first and only time, exploring the feel of a velvet curtain that lay on the nursery room floor.
'By the summer he was at ease in the movement studio environment which protected him, reduced confusion and distractions and was predictable and safe. He had progressed from being an observer in movement sessions to using deliberate and controlled actions towards the environment, seeking and enjoying feedback from his body and others.
'Movement play gave Haroon a language system, a tool of non-verbal communication. We witnessed him gain accessories for communication including eye contact, gesture, emotion, facial expression, body language and a sense of interpersonal space.'