IMADE2 Project

(Integrating Music, Art and Drama into Early Education)
is a collaborative project funded by the Foundation for the Tri-State Community, Inc.

 PROJECT OVERVIEW
 Project IMADE2 (Integrating Music, Art, and Drama in Early Education), a collaborative partnership between 11 early care and education agencies in Wayne and Cabell Counties in West Virginia, 5 in Lawrence County, Ohio, 1 in Greenup County, Kentucky and 4 in Boyd County, Kentucky, is providing art, music, and drama experiences for more than 400 pre-kindergarten children and their families in a year-long intensive program. The project is using a combination of professional performing arts consultants and community and boards of education volunteers to provide a series of age-appropriate, in-classroom instructional sessions and intensive pedagogy workshops to enhance and institutionalize the training of the performing arts for the targeted cohort.  The project includes a community outreach component to raise the awareness of parents and other community stakeholders to the importance of the performing arts in early education.  
          
 

 

Collaborating Organizations

 
 West Virginia Sites (Cabell Wayne Early Childhood Council)
 Cabell County:
 -Children's Place Pre-K classroom
 -River Valley Child Development Services two locations
        Enterprise Child Development Center Pre-K classroom
        Norma Gray Early Learning Center Pre-K classroom
-Child Development Academy at Marshall University -two Pre-K classrooms
 -Kiwanis Day Care Pre-K classroom
-Playmates Preschools and Child Development Huntington Center Pre-K classroom

 Wayne County:
 -Playmates Preschools and Child Development Bison Center Pre-K classroom
-Playmates Preschools and Child Development Ceredo Center Pre-K classroom
-Playmates Preschools and Child Development Kenova Center Pre-K classroom
-Playmates Preschools and Child Development Lavalette Center Pre-K classroom
-Playmates Preschools and Child Development Westmoreland Center Pre-K classroom


 Kentucky Sites:
 Boyd County:
-Early Childhood Learning Center North 
-Early Childhood Learning Center South
-Kinder College at Ashland Community & Tech College
-Ponderosa Elementary

Greenup County:
-Russell Independent Schools

 Ohio Sites:
 Lawrence County:
-Learning Tree Child Care and Preschool Center -4  Head Start classrooms

   

The Value of the Arts for Preschoolers

 

 Current research clearly shows that performing arts should be an integral part of every early childhood program.  Music, art, and drama enhance the development of a wide range of perceptual, physical, language, cognitive, and social-emotional skills. The arts are also valuable in and of themselves, developing aesthetic judgment and bringing personal satisfaction. 


We are very excited to be able to offer 30 minute classes taught by specially-trained, professional instructors of music, art, and drama at no additional cost to parents.  This project uses a rotating schedule where consultants will also emphasize the importance of appreciating art, involve families and connect children to the artists, art venues, and culture in our community. To help you understand what the IMADE² Art and Drama education will entail, below is a short description of the each.
Movement and Music Education

The IMADE2 Music Education focuses on purposeful activity in both movement and music. Systematic instruction helps young children build capacity and an awareness of the body's potential to move and create sound.  

Music experiences focus on moving to music, exploring and identifying sounds, exploring the singing voice, developing melody, singing songs, and playing simple instruments. Opportunities to integrate movement and music with literacy, math, and other content domains are included throughout the daily routine.
 The IMADE2 Project's music program will help develop pre-literacy and language skills through a child's most-loved ritual:  music and story time.

 Children will have opportunities to:
  • Sing songs and rhymes to develop phonetic awareness and early reading skills
  • Learn tapping, clacking, and ringing rhythm in time with music to improve hand-eye coordination
  • Focus listening with music to improve skills in following directions
  • Instrument play to strengthen fine motor skills
  • Sing developmentally-appropriate songs to develop vocal chords and expressive speech
  • Experience learning that emphasizes storytelling, imaginative play, and taking turns
     
Art Education
 

  The IMADE2 Art Education will focus on creating experiences for children to explore and become increasingly proficient in using a variety of art media and materials to create artwork and express ideas.  

Children will have opportunities to:
 
  • Experiment with a variety of media.
  • Express individuality through the use of art materials
  • Relate artistic expression to real life and imagination
  • See child-related artwork displayed
  • Talk about their artwork.
  • Use their imagination to create stories about the artwork they create or observe.
  • Enjoy the process as well as the product of their work.
     
Drama Education

 
 The IMADE2 Drama Education will provide opportunities for each child to progress in using imagination and creativity to assume different roles in dramatic play.  
Children will have opportunities to:
 
  • Spontaneously choose dramatic play and themes.
  • Interact with costume pieces, props, puppets, books, and pictures for dramatic play.
  • Re-enact stories.
  • Use imagination to create stories.
  • Engage in dramatic play through manipulation of figures such as small toys, people, and animals.
     
 Call Roger Barker or Shirley Topeka at 304-429-6167 for more information.