Academics in Action: The Importance of Exercise and Movement-Based

Learning Opportunities in Our Schools

Recent discoveries by medical researchers of the vital connections between exercise, movement, mental functioning and emotional well-being have been detailed by Dr. John Ratey, M.D. of Harvard University in his books SPARK: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, and A Users Guide to the Brain; Dr. John Medina of the University of Washington in Brain Rules; and Scott Shannon, MD in his book, Please Don't Label My Child: Breaking the Doctor-Diagnosis-Drug Cycle and Discovering Safe, Effective Choices for Your Child's Emotional Health.

While all students benefit from movement-based kinesthetic learning experiences, many children really need movement and tactile experiences to learn. Substantial evidence shows how physical activity can help improve academic achievement, including grades and standardized test scores, positively impacts cognitive skills, attention, and on‐task classroom behavior.(CDC, 2010), improves school attendance and fewer disciplinary problems (Active Education, 2009) improves attention, memory, information processing and decreases impulsivity (Preventative Medicine, 2011), improves teacher’s rating of classroom behavior(Preventative Medicine, 2011), improves cerebral blood flow, capillary growth, nerve cell growth, nerve connections and neurotrophins (Pediatrics, Feb 2009).

Additional studies supporting the body/brain connection show how physical movement and exercise: promotes brain cell growth (Van Praag and Associates, 1999), increases synaptic connections (Greenough, 1991), speeds recall and reasoning skills (Etnier, et al. 1999) (Van Boxtel, et al. 1996), triggers BDNF which promotes brain cell communication (Kinoshita, 1997), and reduces anxiety and increases concentration (Bernardi et al. 2000) (Van Dixhoorn, 1998). Through these movement-based activities, students who might otherwise experience continued failure in the traditional modes can experience excitement and success.

A 2010 study published by the CDC showed that increased PE time (meaning actually less in-class academic time), not only led to no significant decrease in academic test scores in any of the schools tested, but yielded moderate to high gains in student achievement on nationally-normed math, reading, and writing assessments. “Researchers reported that participating in physical activity was positively related to outcomes including academic achievement, academic behaviors, and indicators of cognitive skills and attitudes, such as concentration, memory, self-esteem, and verbal skills.” These results were similar to a 1997 Journal of School Health study that showed, “Exercise was found to increase concentration, reduce disruptive behavior, and improve test scores in mathematics, reading, and writing.”

In addition to general exercise benefits, pairing physical activities with cognitive learning tasks has been shown to greatly increase brain activity and direct information efficiently to memory centers aiding in retention of that information. Movement-based academic experiences provide this enriched learning environment for learners who need not "more of the same," but a different mode of learning.

In PSD we’ve created movement-based RtI academic interventions (Academics in Action RtI) that reinforce key learning components (i.e. high frequency sight words for reading and spelling, math facts and basic computation skills in math, etc.) that students need to have mastered in order to participate in grade-level reading, writing, and math classes.

Academics in Action RtI intervention approaches use standardized test data or even informal assessment data like student results on reading/spelling sight word lists, math fact test results, etc. to find where students need help. PSD PE teachers, classroom teachers, RtI Specialists, in addition to paraprofessionals and even parent volunteers (only on informal, non-graded inventories and always welcome to help with interventions) conduct individual testing as part of the routine RtI process, then, on the basis of student needs assessed, create groups of students needing help on particular concepts. These groups of students come to the gym or resource classroom for 10-20 minute individual or group sessions or, if the classroom teacher would like a whole-group Academics in Action activity, the sessions could last an entire 40 min. work period. (Note: these are math and reading interventions and should occur during these academic times, not PE time.) Using scooters, climbing walls, balance beams, ropes, balls, tunnels, mats, cones, etc., the Academics in Action instructor (PE teacher, classroom teacher, para, or parent volunteer) constructs obstacle courses, treasure hunts, three dimensional construction projects, or other physical “tasks” utilizing the reading, writing, math, etc. concepts to be learned or reinforced.

These methods are research-based, active, high interest, and high impact to impress the content or skill in the mind of the student. Retention of the information is enhanced by “waking up” the inactive mind with physical activity. This approach offers double benefits to students not only through the enriched individualized academic help remediating their skills, but also in the well-documented benefits of a “physical break” preparing their brains for more learning in the classroom following the intervention session.

Lesson Example: Treasures Sight Word Challenge-1st Through 5th Grade Reading/Spelling

Pre-assessment: Treasures sight word list - prior grade level list at beginning of year, current grade level at end of year @ https://sites.google.com/site/academicsinaction/

Adult circles non-instantaneous words (circle carefully to leave readable) as child reads from separate sheet.

Materials Needed: 1 scooter per student (or a basketball, tennis racquet and ball, etc.), 1 copy of each student’s assessment with “non-instantaneous” words circled (this will be his/her Treasure list), and grade level (or previous grade level at beginning of year) laminated word list cards

Objective/Goal: Students will identify, read aloud, seek out, obtain, and read aloud again the sight words on their personal lists

Lesson Description:

1)  Students come into gym and do 2 laps, 20 jumping jacks, 5 squat thrusts, 10 diagonal toe-touches to warm up

2) Students have been given their word lists to practice as they walk from their classrooms

and, after completing warm-ups, will read through their list of words with partners/ adults.

2)  Each student is assigned a scooter and will leave his or her “Treasure List” at the start, scoot across the gym, and bring back individual word cards found in the word card pile.

3)  Students scoot back across gym once the leader says “time’s up” bringing any words on their list and read them to each other or adults aloud. Students then look at remaining words and read them aloud to search for next time.

5) Students line up to return to the room and teacher asks each student (line order) to remember and try to spell one of the words from their list they didn’t find today.

Informal Assessment-The instructor is working with small groups so observation of students can be monitored as we go. Students who are not fully participating can be encouraged by checking with them individually.

Formal Post- Assessment– Same Treasures sight word list recording sheet from pretest (actually mark with a dot any missed on same sheet) for post-test

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-DR. JOHN RATEY is a professor of Psychiatry at Harvard whose research clearly demonstrates that "strenuous physical activity is not only healthy for students but improves their academic performance."

-DR. JOHN J. MEDINA is a developmental molecular biologist. Dr. Medina says, "For starters, we are not used to sitting at a desk for eight hours a day. From an evolutionary perspective, our brains developed while working out, walking as many as 12 miles a day.”

-DR. SCOTT SHANNON, MD has studied mental illness as a psychiatrist for 30 years and notes that many children diagnosed with ADD, ADHD, depression school may actually be kinesthetic learners who (in addition to sound nutrition) need to move regularly in order to learn and thrive.

----For questions, activity plans, or content assessment materials e-mail----

Chris Hunt – Traut Core Knowledge School PE teacher/RtI Specialist:

Academics in Action - kinesthetic learning activities - https://sites.google.com/site/academicsinaction/

Fitness and Form FUNdamentals - https://sites.google.com/site/psdpecommunityconnection/home

PSD PE Wikispace – activities and video resources - http://psdpe.wikispaces.com