The Alexander Technique for Children 

      Probably the most important area of Alexander work. 

           Information from Sue Merry, a pioneer in the field.

 New!

Read the second draft of my the book "Edukindness" here

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Looking at the Whole Child

When a child learns a new skill at school, e.g. holding a pencil, they can learn the skill with good use of the self or with bad use. Whatever way they do it will be the way that quickly becomes their habit and forever associated with writing and drawing. It is up to us to ensure that they learn to do everything, even sitting on the floor, with good use of the self. How common it is to see a child collapsed across a desk, holding a pencil with so much tension that the associated shoulder is virtually touching the ear. It does not have to be this way. We can teach children that the means-whereby they do things are more important than any ends that they wish to gain. If the means-whereby are correct then the ends will take care of themselves.

Looking at the school.

Badly designed and ill-fitting chairs and tables make it very difficult for a small child to maintain their natural poise and freedom from unnecessary tension.
Eventually most children stop trying and collapse into the chair, until sitting in this way quickly becomes habitual and feels right. It also becomes inseparable from whatever skill they are learning at the table.         
It is not unfeasible for a school to gradually replace such furniture. The ideal seats probably being Trip Trap chairs or stools. Mass-produced stacking stools are easily available. 

It is important to make children aware that the way in which they use themselves is important and that good use is desirable and praiseworthy. When I work with classes of children I begin by really simplifying the principles of the Alexander Technique. I use images, stories and songs often featuring the adventures of the likes of Terry Tall and Digby Down. The children then go on to do various things as these two characters and we look at some of the differences between them. We actively explore ideas such as being tight and being free. We look at what we do with ourselves in activity and when lying down on the back and thinking into the body.

Obviously work such as this requires the co-operation of class teachers. They need to follow-up any work that I do with their children by at least reminding them that working in a tall way is desirable. The more that a class teacher understands about the Alexander Technique and what I am trying to do by applying it to children, the more effective the Technique is likely to be for their class.

What's Working Now

In February 1997 an exciting new school opened here in Kingston. This is Educare Small School where the principles of the Alexander Technique are at the heart of everything that happens during the school day. This is a very exciting project because in this environment I am able to expand and develop ideas as I have a marvellous platform to work from. Since the school opened we have evolved many different initiatives. Currently we use Alexander Work as the back bone and have added in Brain Gym, Meditation, Diet and Nutrition and EFT. 

It is now almost ten years since the school first opened it's doors and we have seen many children come and go. It is impossible to really say how these children's lives will ultimately be affected by what they have learned with us. It is obvious though that children leave Educare with a choice, a choice that is simply not available to most children at the moment. Educare children are able to choose to use themselves well or to choose to use themselves in another way.

If you would like to see this school in action you are welcome to visit. For more information go to www.educaresmallschool.org.uk If you are interested in the way in which the Alexander Technique works within the school and would like to spend some time with me at school then you are welcome to visit. Please email me to arrange an appointment.

At the moment there are not many Alexander Teachers actually working in schools, particularly in the state sector. This is largely to do with lack of opportunity and lack of funding. However, few members of the Alexander community would argue with the importance of making the Technique accessible to all children.
I would like to see the possibility of the Alexander Technique being used in every school. I  have worked with state schools on ways of applying the Technique to the whole school. I believe that I have discovered many ideas that work well and that could be universally applied relatively easily and cheaply. For example your school could easily introduce Quiet Time. This is a short period after lunch playtime when children and teachers have an opportunity to quieten their bodies and their minds and to focus exclusively on themselves. Children as young as three are taught to do this at Educare. You can print out instructions here.  

Watch short video of Quiet Time at Educare: Here

How marvellous it will be when all children leave school with the choice of good use of the self.

Much more information about the application of the Alexander Technique to children is available in the new book "Edukindness" written by Sue Merry and Judith Kleinman. This can be read online Here

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