Effects of Dance Practice in Elementary Students

The use of movement in primary school classrooms is a longstanding practice drawn upon by
teachers in various ways. Dance movement in particular is popular among teachers for several
reasons: it is enjoyable for students, it can be imaginative, it engages the body as well as
the brain, and it can be made accessible to students of varying abilities.

In the field of education, the use of brief bouts of physical activity (PA) or 'brain breaks'
have been gaining attention. Teachers have reported perceived improved student concentration
during the academic school day by utilizing PA in both elementary and middle school
populations. Carlson et al. suggest that PA breaks can indeed improve overall student
behavior in the classroom while Donnelly and Lambourne report a 6% improvement on
standardized tests in classrooms incorporating PA into academic lessons. Erwin et al.
describe improvements in math and reading fluency standardized test scores following an
intervention of PA incorporated into an elementary classroom. More conclusive research is
indeed needed, yet incorporating PA into the culture of an academic environment appears to
hold some merit.

The US Department of Education alongside the National Dance Education Organization published
a paper outlining the research priorities for dance education in 2004.

"Of 20 Issues researched in the Research Dance Education project, 15 Issues were identified
as gaps, and are therefore identified as Issues in need of future research…The 15 severely
under-researched issues over decades impact policy and pedagogy at state and national levels,
specifically: Multicultural Education, Integrated Arts, Policy, Affective Domain,
Interdisciplinary Education, Student Achievement, Equity, National Content Standards,
Funding, Student Performance, Children at Risk, Certification, Teacher Standards, Uncertified
Teachers, and Brain Research."

Despite this call to action over a decade ago, to the investigators knowledge, a study
assessing change in academic performance following an intervention of dance in a public
school serving students with high rates of economic disadvantage has not been published.

The purpose of this study is to assess changes in benchmark and state assessment scores in a
public elementary school following an intervention of dance integration into the daily
routine of the classroom. Furthermore, this study aims to assess if dance may improve student
behavior, teacher perception of student behavior, reading level and attendance. The
investigators hypothesize that positive improvements may be observed in all variables by
integrating dance into the academic classroom.

Inclusion criteria:

Inclusion criteria:

- Registration in an elementary classroom at Boulevard Elementary school, Gloversville
Enlarged School District; Gloversville, New York

- Registration in an elementary classroom Park Terrace Elementary school, Gloversville
Enlarged School District; Gloversville, New York

- Participating in a classroom where teacher is utilizing dance integration into their
curriculum.

Exclusion Criteria:

• None