The purpose of this study was to develop an early childhood dance program that expands young children’s movement experiences through familiar Korean folktales and supports the integrated development of physical, emotional, and social domains. Howeve...
The purpose of this study was to develop an early childhood dance program that expands young children’s movement experiences through familiar Korean folktales and supports the integrated development of physical, emotional, and social domains. However, current early childhood education settings provide limited opportunities for diverse dance programs, making it difficult for children to experience a wide range of bodily expression. This limitation not only restricts children’s movement development but also narrows the scope for dance majors to demonstrate their professional expertise in educational contexts. Accordingly, this study aimed to develop an early childhood dance program utilizing traditional folktales to promote children’s natural engagement and holistic development through movement, and to propose practical applications in educational settings.
The program was designed based on the ASSURE instructional design model, which consists of six stages: learner analysis, statement of objectives, selection and use of media, learner participation, evaluation, and revision. A total of ten sessions were developed using the folktales The Rabbit and the Turtle and Kongjwi and Patjwi. Sessions 1–5, based on The Rabbit and the Turtle, focused on the core values of ingenuity and wisdom, and progressed from exploring movements of sea creatures to cooperative and balanced movement activities, expressive movement of story characters, and completing the narrative flow through bodily expression. Sessions 6–10, based on Kongjwi and Patjwi, were structured around contrasting values such as diligence and laziness, and consideration and selfishness. These sessions emphasized cooperative movement, sharing, emotional expression, and culminated in activities where children expressed joy and celebration through movement and shared the completed story with their parents.
To examine content validity and applicability in educational settings, expert validity reviews were conducted with one professor of dance studies and three early childhood dance instructors. The results indicated positive evaluations regarding the educational value of folktale-based instruction, the systematic structure of the ASSURE-based design, the appropriateness of media use, and the feasibility of application in real educational contexts. In particular, the step-by-step activity structure aligned well with the narrative flow of folktales and the developmental characteristics of young children, confirming the program’s practical value for early childhood education.
This study is significant in that it presents a new early childhood dance program that integrates folktales with bodily expression to support children’s holistic development. Future research should apply the program in actual educational settings to empirically examine its effects on children’s expressive movement abilities and socio-emotional development, as well as to further verify the impact of folktale-based and media-assisted dance activities on children’s engagement and participation.