Moving Minds: Exploring the Impact of Creative Dance on ELA Learning

Abstract This thesis tests the effectiveness of arts integration, specifically creative dance, as a tool for literacy. Many studies have shown the benefits of creative dance in subjects such as math or science increasing students' achievements in all other subjects “...equally by 10%...” (Long, 2022), helping with the early development of language literacy, social and motor skills, supporting positive academic growth, and building a sense of identity. However, researchers have conducted few studies on the benefits of creative dance in English Language Arts (ELA). Students were taught creative dance concepts for one week and then taught ELA and creative dance standards through arts integrated lessons for an additional week. Concepts covered included but were not limited to the elements of dance, using choreography to show feeling or emotion, the plot mountain, fairy tales, and theme. A pre- and post-test was given during the second week, and 75% of students demonstrated significant growth in their comprehension of content, while almost all students exhibited some form of growth compared to the results of the pre-test. This thesis shows how important creative dance is in ELA instruction. It boosts creative thinking, reinforces vocabulary, and helps students build a deeper understanding and meaning behind new information through hands-on experiences. One can then thus speculate that if creative dance can benefit students in ELA learning, it could therefore benefit them in other subjects. This tool could help schools by offering students new ways to learn and think creatively, skills students can use in all other subjects and in their daily lives.<p></p>