Moving and exploring
Students start by exploring how their bodies can move. They try big and small movements, fast and slow, and notice how dance feels different from regular play.
What does a student learn in
This is the year dance starts as play with the body. Students explore how they can move through space, copying animals, acting out stories, and trying out fast, slow, big, and small motions. They watch others dance and talk about what they notice and feel. By spring, students can make up a short movement to a song and show it to the class.
- Creative movement
- Body awareness
- Moving to music
- Watching dance
- Sharing ideas
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
- 1
- 2
Making up dances
Students begin inventing their own movements and short dances. They use ideas from songs, stories, and everyday life, then practice shaping a movement into something they can show.
- 3
Sharing dances with others
Students practice performing for classmates. They learn to start and stop with the music, hold a shape, and show feelings through how they move.
- 4
Watching and talking about dance
Students watch each other dance and watch dances from different places and times. They share what they noticed, what they liked, and what the dance might be about.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Pre-Kindergarten.
Connecting
Connecting
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Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art
Students connect what they know and feel to their dancing. A memory, a feeling, or something from their day can become movement.
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Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Dancing is something people have done in every culture and time in history. Students begin to notice that different dances come from different places and people.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art | Students connect what they know and feel to their dancing. A memory, a feeling, or something from their day can become movement. | DA:Cn10.pk |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Dancing is something people have done in every culture and time in history. Students begin to notice that different dances come from different places and people. | DA:Cn11.pk |
Creating
Creating
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Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students try out simple movements and make choices about how their body can move when dancing or playing, turning everyday ideas like animals, weather, or feelings into motion.
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Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students pick a movement idea and try it out, changing how they move until it feels right for the dance they are making.
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Refine and complete artistic work
Students pick a favorite way to move and practice it until it feels just right. They make small changes to their dance until they are happy with how it looks and feels.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work | Students try out simple movements and make choices about how their body can move when dancing or playing, turning everyday ideas like animals, weather, or feelings into motion. | DA:Cr1.pk |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students pick a movement idea and try it out, changing how they move until it feels right for the dance they are making. | DA:Cr2.pk |
| Refine and complete artistic work | Students pick a favorite way to move and practice it until it feels just right. They make small changes to their dance until they are happy with how it looks and feels. | DA:Cr3.pk |
Performing/Presenting/Producing
Performing/Presenting/Producing
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Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation
Students pick a movement or short dance to share with others, thinking about what they want to show and how they want to move.
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Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice a dance move until they can perform it more clearly and with more control. Getting a movement right takes trying it more than once.
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Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work
Students share a dance they made and show what it means to them through how they move.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students pick a movement or short dance to share with others, thinking about what they want to show and how they want to move. | DA:Pr4.pk |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice a dance move until they can perform it more clearly and with more control. Getting a movement right takes trying it more than once. | DA:Pr5.pk |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Students share a dance they made and show what it means to them through how they move. | DA:Pr6.pk |
Responding
Responding
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Perceive and analyze artistic work
Students watch a dance and talk about what they notice, like how the dancer moved fast or slow, big or small.
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Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students describe what they think a dance is about and explain what it makes them feel. They begin to notice that movement can tell a story or share an idea.
-
Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Students look at a dance and say what they notice and what they like about it, starting to form their own opinions about what makes movement interesting.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students watch a dance and talk about what they notice, like how the dancer moved fast or slow, big or small. | DA:Re7.pk |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students describe what they think a dance is about and explain what it makes them feel. They begin to notice that movement can tell a story or share an idea. | DA:Re8.pk |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students look at a dance and say what they notice and what they like about it, starting to form their own opinions about what makes movement interesting. | DA:Re9.pk |
Common Questions
What does dance look like at this age?
Students move their bodies in lots of ways: stretching tall, curling small, hopping, swaying, freezing in a shape. They make up movements to music or stories and copy movements they see. The point is exploring how the body moves, not learning routines.
How can I support dance at home?
Put on music and move together for a few minutes. Ask things like, can you move like a tree in the wind, or can you make a shape as low as you can. Joining in matters more than getting it right.
Does my child need to learn real dance steps?
Not yet. At this age the focus is on body awareness and trying out movement ideas, not memorizing steps. Skipping, twirling, tiptoeing, and making shapes all count.
How do I plan dance across the year?
Start with body parts and basic movements like bend, stretch, twist, and jump. Move into ideas like fast and slow, high and low, then into short movements students make up themselves. End the year with simple sharing, where students show a movement and watch others.
What should students be able to do by the end of the year?
Students should move different body parts on purpose, copy a simple movement, and make up a short movement of their own. They should also watch a classmate dance and say something they noticed.
Which parts usually need the most reteaching?
Holding a still shape and watching others without joining in are the hardest parts. Build short freeze games and quick audience moments into most lessons so both feel normal by spring.
My child is shy about dancing. What helps?
Dance next to them instead of watching them. Try movement during everyday moments, like marching to the kitchen or swaying while brushing teeth. Comfort grows once moving feels like play, not a performance.
How do I tie dance to stories and feelings?
Pick a picture book and ask students to show a part with their bodies, like the wind blowing or a character feeling sad. This connects movement to meaning and gives quieter students a way in.