"Children are great imitators, acutely aware of and then modeling adult movements in their walking, talking, hand gestures, and other physical activities. This modeling of the body allows them to sense the world around them from within to understand it." By watching themselves in mirrors and mirroring others' movements, children gain an understanding of their own bodies and capabilities." - Smart Moves: Why Learning Is Not All In Your Head, by Carla Hannaford, Ph.D., p. 44.
When children promote from our preschool, "Imagine That!", class into our music fundamentals class, known as Kindermusik for the Young Child, they will begin their steps into musical instrumental lessons using physical imitation. As we teach them to play the glockenspiel, the 2-string dulcimer, and the recorder, physical imitation is a vital part of the learning process. In addition, we have found that children who complete our Imagine That! curricula consistently gain a stronger sense of self-control than those children entering our "Young Child" program without the "Imagine That!" experience. Practice is much easier for children who have learned self-control through the play environment.
The video here is a clip from my Wed 12:45 PM class. We are doing a "Mirror" dance, where I am moving and the children imitate me as if they are my "mirror." Notice how long this activity goes and most of the children stay focused the whole time. One Mom commented after class, that she hadn't seen her son focused like that on one thing in a long time. The practice of imitation can be fun and social! Enjoy.
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