ADDITIONAL READINGS: MOVE AND GROOVE
Study upon study, and innumerable personal experiences shared by teachers and students, show that physical movement enhances learning. The brain and body are deeply connected, which means that when children’s bodies are moving, both inside the classroom and on the playground, their brains are working.
Inspired Teaching founder Aleta Margolis articulates why movement in class is not a break from learning – it is learning.
A CDC review of research on the connections between physical activity and academic performance found that physical activity – both inside and outside of the classroom – has positive effects on “cognitive skills and attitudes,” behavior, and academic achievement. The full research brief is available online.
Kinesthetic learning sparks connections that deepen students’ learning and enables teachers to build on diverse strengths.
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A teacher-researcher remembers her own days as a student – and the importance of kinesthetic learning to students of all ages.
Music has great power to activate our senses and engage our brains. Like movement, music enhances learning and can affect students’ mood, focus, and energy in positive ways. Read a summary of research on the benefits of incorporating music in the classroom.
PBS provides an even shorter summary.
As teachers, parents and administrators advocate for more physical activity for children in school, movement in the classroom has become a hot topic in the news media in recent years.
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The Atlantic magazine reports on the essential role of movement (and open-ended play) in early childhood education.
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CNN reports on the learning and social benefits of movement in the classroom and the detrimental effects of requiring children to spend too much time sitting still.