Learners need to move-it-move-it

Being a mover and shaker is a very prestigious and sought-after title when you enter the grown-up world that is business. For our younger generation and leaders of tomorrow, this term has more of a literal meaning. Adding movement and play activities in the classroom can indeed change your learners’ brain function and concentration. The brain is not set to just be a well-oiled machine from birth – environment plays a big role to unlock the wonderful beast what the brain will become. As teacher, we need to sculpt and develop learners’ brains through everyday experiences in the classroom.

The brain is exactly like a muscle – the more it is trained the more it develops and believe it or not, exercise makes human beings able to learn and focus and optimises our core organ for extensive learning. Oxygen is essential for learning and movement enables oxygen to be transported to the brain for efficient functioning. So now that we have established that classroom movement is of utter importance, here are some creative ways to incorporate movement into your lessons and get those brain juices pumping!

Implement a Movement Policy: Make it your classroom policy that your learners like to move-it-move-it when they learn. If they go to sharpen pencils, they need to reach toward the ceiling with every step or get up out of their seat when they put their hand up to answer a question. On the way to the bathroom, let them do a few lunges and some beginner Pilates moves before breaktime can make the world of difference!

Ball-Toss Spelling: Who said spelling can’t be fun and incorporated into a PE lesson? Get those rubber-band balls out and pick a word. Toss the ball to one of your learners and have them call out the first letter of the word, then toss the ball to another learner who should call out the second letter. A little ‘netball’ game can continue until all your spelling words have been practiced.

Measure Around the Room: Math it out! Challenge your students to measure a variety of things in the room – chairs, desks, doors, windows – using yardsticks and rulers. Record their answers in a log and make a chart of the biggest and smallest things.

Play Switch-Off: Put an assignment on the board (e.g., pg. 35, problems 1-20) and have students write their name on the paper and complete problem one. Then, when everyone has finished with problem one, have them stand up and move to the next desk, check their classmate’s answer to problem number one and then do problem number two. Continue until every student has done every problem and checked every problem.

Fact-Family Relays: Write two parts of a fact family on the board. Break the kids into groups and have one member come up to the board and complete that fact family, then write two parts of another fact family. Have them then pass a baton (a ruler or pencil) onto the next member of their group, who will solve the next fact family. The winning team will get to write the first problem for the next relay race!

Being active makes the brain attractive! Here is to developing a healthy body and mind!