The Power of Embodied Read-Alouds: Incorporating Dance Into Reading Instruction

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 9:50 am Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: STEAM (Table 5)

Abstract

What if early reading instruction was more like dance class? This paper shares findings from a study of children’s and adults’ perceptions of a dance studio’s approach to embodied read-alouds, a form of interactive read-aloud, and in doing so lends support to existing literature emphasizing the importance of children’s active engagement with text. The studio’s approach is analyzed and synthesized for the reader, and research-supported features of the method are highlighted. The paper concludes by advocating for the intentional integration of meaningful movement into read-alouds and offers tips for getting started.

Authors

• Joy Dangora Erickson, Endicott College

• Maria T. Genest, Endicott College