Teaching children dance
Theresa Purcell Cone
Teaching children dance
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Theresa Purcell Cone
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.
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About This Book
Feel the rhythm pulse through your feet and the soft swish of fabric as you move. Imagine using your whole body to tell stories, solve puzzles, and work with friends—all through dance. Discover how every step and spin helps you learn and grow in ways you never expected.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This updated edition offers a comprehensive guide for teaching dance to children aged 9-12, emphasizing creative thinking, collaboration, and communication through movement. It includes practical unit plans, strategies for inclusive classrooms, and guidelines for creating a safe, engaging learning environment. Parents should note the focus on skill development through dance rather than narrative fiction elements.
Why we rated Teaching children dance 11LT
Teaching children dance is written at a Level 6 reading level across 206 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Teaching children dance works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Teaching children dance as 11LT ("Light — Thematic") because the content sits in the "Gentle" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly gentle; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the gentle intensity score.
Thematically, Teaching children dance explores study and teaching, dance for children, inclusion, creative thinking, and collaboration — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about study and teaching, dance for children, inclusion.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11LT — Light — ThematicNo conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences. Safe for sensitive readers.
Was our "Gentle" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
1/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781450402538
- Pages
- 206
- Publisher
- Human Kinetics
- Published
- 2012
- Type
- Fiction