DEL Launches Free Dance-Based Phonics Videos
The free K-2 video series teaches foundational reading skills through dance and was designed to align with NYC Reads literacy instruction.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Dance
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92NY Harkness Dance Center and DEL launched DEL Dancing Phonics, a free K-2 video series and Teacher Activity Guide that teaches foundational reading skills through dance. The launch on October 28 included 10 videos, downloadable teacher activities, and printable and projectable phonics cards.
Why it matters
The resource was designed in alignment with the NYC Reads Initiative's shift toward city-wide literacy instruction grounded in the Science of Reading. It gives New York City K-2 teachers a free classroom tool that connects movement with early reading instruction.
The launch included 10 videos for grades K-2, with more videos to be added to the DEL Dancing Phonics YouTube channel in the coming weeks. The full series length and any viewership or adoption figures have not been disclosed.
The players
92NY (92nd Street Y)
92NY is a New York City cultural and educational institution that hosts the Harkness Dance Center and has long offered arts and community programming.
DEL
DEL is a New York-based dance education organization that develops arts-integrated learning programs for schools.
The details
DEL Dancing Phonics was published on the DEL website and on its YouTube channel, and the launch included downloadable teacher activities and printable and projectable phonics cards. Professional learning sessions with DEL's New York City public school partners will train teachers in using the resource.
Timeline
October 28: DEL Dancing Phonics launched on the DEL website.
November 7: A New York State Reading Association Conference workshop is held at Hunter College.
November 21: A DEL Dancing Phonics Workshop is held at 92NY.
March 13-17: SXSW EDU Conference takes place in Austin, TX.
Industry Dynamics
The project reflects a broader pattern of arts organizations building classroom resources tied to public school literacy goals under the NYC Reads Initiative, which launched in the 2023-24 school year. Its design aligns with the initiative's emphasis on city-wide instruction grounded in the Science of Reading.
Teachers can access all 10 launch videos, the Teacher Activity Guide, and printable phonics cards for free through the DEL website and YouTube channel. Professional learning sessions with DEL's public school partners will help educators apply the videos in their K-2 classrooms.
The takeaway
Teachers in K-2 classrooms can use movement-based videos to reinforce phonics skills at no cost. Checking the DEL Dancing Phonics YouTube channel for new releases will give educators the full series as it grows.
What happens next
More videos will be added to the DEL Dancing Phonics YouTube channel in the coming weeks, and a DEL Dancing Phonics Workshop is scheduled at 92NY on November 21.
Further reading
Explore more Dance coverage to see how arts groups are bringing movement into classroom learning across the city.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Broadway World.
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