There has always been a misconception about children and learning: in order for kids to retain information, they need to sit and listen instead of being active and engaged. In fact, the opposite is often true. When children are active, they learn better. Activity periods before a lesson help children focus better because they have burned off energy and are more willing to concentrate on the learning task. Combining physical activity with lessons also has benefits for students. When children are doing an activity related to the subject area or lesson, they retain more information than if they are just sitting and listening to a lecture.
There is also a benefit for teachers who have more active classrooms. Students are better able to focus, retain more information and require less disciplinary action than children that don't have the opportunity to release excess energy. Plus, on a more personal level, building physical activity into your classroom sends students an important message. Taking care of their bodies and getting plenty of exercise become a priority when students see it as another important part of their school day.
The good news is that teachers don't have to put in a lot of extra effort or planning to make physical activity easy and rewarding for their students. Here are some ideas to help you get your students moving and learning.
- Physical activity does not have to take up large quantities of your valuable and limited teaching time. Try giving your students 5-minute physical activity breaks. Depending on your level of comfort or confidence, this could be a stretch, series of movements or short game led by you or a student. Simon Says is a good movement game that can get students doing many different exercises. You could even make a new job for your classroom: Student Physical Activity Leader.
- Incorporate physical activity into your lessons. Younger children can do a song or rhyme that includes movement, such as "Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes." (Include other body parts, too!) For older students, integrating movement with math, spelling or geography facts helps them move and effectively remember information. There are several sites at the end of this article that offer great lesson ideas that use physical activity.
- Help your school make physical activity a priority. Some schools have a special time every day for the whole school to stop and do a movement activity. Another idea is "Walking the state/country/globe." A classroom or the whole school can chart the mileage they walk and try to make it to a specific place on the map. Some schools even have an indoor or outdoor walking route or a nature trail for students to walk daily.
It doesn't matter if you are looking for classroom ideas or would like to get the whole school moving. The important thing is for students to move more and sit less. It helps boost their learning and keep them healthy. And especially in these fiscally conscious and testing conscious times, when "extras" like music, art, and physical education are being reduced or cut altogether, kids need to squeeze activity in whenever possible. As a teacher, you are in a perfect position to help them!
Resources: PE Central
Maine Nutrition Network (Click on Physical Activity)
Classroom Energizers from North Carolina PE
Jaime L. Hebert - Jaime L. Hebert is a former educator who uses her teaching background to fuel her freelance writing career.
