Our kids aren't little brains that come rolling in the door each morning, they have bodies attached to those brains! And those bodies need to MOVE, some more than others! In fact, movement "turns on" the brain! Sitting for too long hinders a kid's ability to learn, retain information, and control behavior. There are lots of ways to give kids the movement they need, without stopping the class for a 15 minute movement activity. Movement can be integrated into every part of your lesson to make learning and remembering easier for all kids! How to do it is the key! Below are just a few examples of how to bring movement (plus better focus, faster cognitive processing, and better memory retention) into your lesson plans.
1. Are you teaching grammar? Use body movements to represent punctuation marks. For example, when you read along and a period is needed, ask kids to stand up to show it's time for the period, clap hands for a comma and so on. The movement you choose isn't as important as the fact kids are moving.
2. Are you teaching multiplication? Ask groups of students to show a quick skit to demonstrate how to remember/do the problem.
3. Use rhymic call backs. As you may remember in the first installment of this series rhymic call backs are perfect for grabbing your kids' attention. Add clapping, a stand-up, sit-down, and you've got a terrific movement activity. To see the "Grab Their Attention with Small Celebrations" click here
4. Any work done in pairs or small groups automatically includes movement. (get up, find your group, etc.) In fact, working with other kids builds not only on their need for movement, but on their inborn need for social communication.
5. Bring recess back to your school! Tying kids to their seats is destructive to learning, and creates behavior problems. A 15 minute break helps kids tackle the rest of the day, plus it builds social skills all kids need.
6. Try Gallory Walks. Put paper to write on at different places in the room. Ask students to write what they know or want to learn about an upcoming lesson. Students can get into groups to answer questions you post around the room about a current topic, etc.
7. Include a midmorning snack. It's a great way to hold their hunger in check. Hunger is one of the biggest distractions to learning, plus eating is a physical activity.
8. Take a short stretch break. This can resharpen not only a kid's focus, but our own.
9. Take a brain break. There are lots of great websites for quick energizing brain breaks. Here are just a couple:
From Rachel Lynette
To see the other two installments of this series check out:
Visit my store to get LOTS of resources for 2nd-5th grade that grab and hold your students' attention!
Happy Moving! (and better learning) to you and your students!
Follow my Pinterest page to get TONS of freebies!
