Movement in the Classroom: How to Incorporate While Teaching

Incorporating movement in the classroom through movement activities and flexible seating helps students of all ages explore the environments in which they can do their best work. While we often focus on helping students discover their learning styles, we should also think about how they work best. Allowing for self-referential movement, with clear guidelines, is a powerful way to help them understand their own bodies and the ways in which they perform at their peak.

Movement is not just beneficial for young children; it’s essential for all students, including older students. Physical activity and movement routines are shown to increase blood flow to the brain, which in turn improves cognitive functions, attention span, and academic performance. Regular movement breaks are a revolutionary new science of exercise for the brain, a concept that is especially beneficial for secondary school and high school students who sit for extended periods.

Allowing students the freedom to select a seating position where they’re most comfortable and productive has positive effects on their learning outcomes, fostering greater focus and engagement. For some students, this might still mean sitting at a traditional desk, but for others, it could mean standing, sitting on the floor, or lying down. Providing this choice encourages students to take ownership of their learning environment, helping them better understand and advocate for their unique needs. This flexibility not only boosts their confidence but also supports diverse learning styles and preferences, leading to a more inclusive and effective classroom experience.

Traditional seating models originated from the industrial model of education, designed for a society that no longer exists. Today’s students need a learning environment that promotes brain breaks and encourages movement as part of the learning process. For example, teachers can incorporate movement activities such as gallery walks or corner discussions to get students up and moving while also engaging with new concepts in creative ways. In a math class, consider activities like question trails, where students solve problems at different stations around the room. This type of movement supports their cognitive processes and is a great way to keep them engaged.

Valerie Strauss’s article, Letting Kids Move in Class isn’t a Break from Learning. It IS Learning, highlights how physical movement helps students make connections with new material. Movement-based learning activities, like yoga poses or even simple jumping jacks, can help learners articulate and internalize new ideas. This makes learning a dynamic, sensory-rich experience that aligns with the natural workings of the human brain.

Angela Hanscom’s insights on the impact of movement (and lack thereof) in classrooms also resonate with our experience. She found that students and even adults struggle to stay focused and retain information when confined to a single spot. Her article titled, A therapist goes to middle school and tries to sit still and focus. She can’t. Neither can the kids, may just be the most eye-opening article you will ever read about movement in the classroom (seriously…click on that link and read it…I won’t be offended if you’re taken off track for a few minutes).

The teachers know students should move, but they feel locked into cramming a ton of information into their brains (more than again, you guessed it, previous generations were required) and don’t see a choice. With this, students are losing focus, developing sedentary lifestyle habits, and not actually acquiring the learning that the teacher is trying their hardest to accomplish.

Recess is being cut shorter and shorter and the society of fear we have grown into is preventing these kids from running around and playing outside after school (not to mention, there is often homework to “reinforce” what was “learned” that day in a state of unfocused cramming).

To quote her, after 90 minutes of being in the classroom,

“I’m mentally exhausted and the day has just begun. I was planning on observing the whole day. I just can’t do it. I decide to leave right after lunch.“

This is why “traditional” learning without movement in the classroom just isn’t the best method of instruction for our students anymore. It’s not.

Movement for Attention

Movement helps alleviate stress levels and enables students to refocus, which is critical given that students today have a drastically shorter attention span—down to about seven seconds! Providing physical ways to learn makes the classroom a more effective learning space where students can perform academically at their best.

With the requirements to learn more and more and the time to simply “be a kid” becoming less and less, something needs to change. We need to incorporate student movement in the classroom without it being a special treat. The students need to move for not only their physical and mental well-being but also so they actually learn.

Plain and simple…where will they learn more: actively trying to solve a problem or actively trying to stay awake?

Friends, incorporating student-centered learning isn’t difficult. It’s different.

Encouraging student movement in the classroom is not difficult. It’s different.

Switching teaching styles just goes against the grain of how so many people view what education is supposed to be. But tell me….what is education SUPPOSED to be?

It is supposed to be students going to school and learning. It doesn’t HAVE to look like anything in particular, so why can’t it be a model that today’s students will actually get more out of?

Adding Movement to Your Daily Routine

Incorporating physical movement into daily routines can look different depending on age and classroom setup. Here are some ideas by age group to help inspire movement in the classroom:

Younger Students (Preschool and Elementary)
For younger students, activities that incorporate gross motor skills, like relay races or spelling word obstacle courses, are a fun way to reinforce vocabulary words and increase focus. Using items like paper plates as stepping stones, students can hop from one side of the room to the other, spelling out each word as they go. Setting up stations with various movement tasks or using yoga balls for seated exercises can also help them develop their own movement routines while learning new material.

Middle School
Middle school students benefit from movement in the classroom as a stress reliever and an energy booster. Incorporate activities like musical discussions, where students walk around the classroom and stop to discuss open-ended questions with a partner when the music stops. Movement activities, such as standing desks or task cards scattered across the classroom, allow them to focus on academic topics in a dynamic way. These brain breaks enhance cognitive functions, helping them retain information better.

High School and Beyond
High school students, particularly those who sit through long periods of time, can also benefit from movement breaks. For these students, physical ways to learn might include activities like gallery walks or even yoga poses to encourage reflection. Including short bursts of activity, such as a quick game of movement-based multiple-choice questions, helps them reset and re-energize. Older students can also benefit from having flexible, self-directed movement stations within the classroom, creating a space where academic success is part of the classroom culture.

All Ages

Some movement activities can be adapted for any age. For instance, corners of the classroom discussions work across grade levels; designate each corner for a different answer choice to a question. This is an easy way to bring physical activity into academic lessons while helping students engage actively. These types of activities can also be part of a classroom’s daily routine, with movement breaks built into each period, creating a rhythm that keeps students focused and ready to learn.

Whether you’re incorporating jumping jacks for a quick reset or arranging a question trail around the classroom, the benefits of movement for academic achievement are well-documented. Movement can improve attention, reduce stress, and enhance cognitive processing, all of which contribute to a more effective learning experience. The classroom doesn’t have to follow outdated, rigid structures. By incorporating movement as part of the learning experience, we’re not only making learning more effective but also creating an environment where students are engaged, energized, and better prepared for the future.

Conclusion

Embracing movement in the classroom is not just an add-on; it’s an essential part of student learning that improves academic performance and supports students’ brains. Movement has profound positive effects on focus, memory retention, and the overall learning experience. Incorporating movement activities and breaks throughout the school day helps students focus, boosts cognitive processes, and makes learning an enjoyable experience.

Movement can take many forms, from quick brain breaks to more structured activities like question trails or gallery walks, all designed to get students moving while learning. Even simple gestures, like allowing students to stand, stretch, or switch seats, can have significant benefits for their academic success and well-being.

Creating a classroom where movement is a regular part of the routine allows students to manage their own physical and mental needs, which ultimately enhances their ability to engage deeply with the material. By supporting the natural needs of students’ brains and bodies, we help them develop a greater awareness of how they learn best, a skill that will serve them well beyond the classroom. Embrace movement in your classroom today to see a big difference in your students’ engagement and academic growth.

Let’s challenge the norm and provide a space where students of all ages can thrive. The more we incorporate movement, the closer we get to creating an effective learning environment that students will enjoy and benefit from on a regular basis. Movement not only makes the classroom a dynamic and interactive space but also promotes lifelong habits that support physical health, cognitive resilience, and a love of learning.

This article was originally published on September 21, 2018