Kinesthetic Strategies: Movement Enhances Academic Ability and Meets Learning Standards
Students in lecture-based classes are 1.5 times more likely to fail than students in classes with kinesthetic, multi-sensory, movement-based learning (Freeman, et al., 2014). Only 21.6% of 6 to 19-year-old children and adolescents in the United States attained 60 or more minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity on at least 5 days per week (National Physical Activity Plan Alliance, 2016).
What do both of these things have in common? Students are sitting in class and not exercising their bodies. Their brains are minimally engaged and their learning is severely limited.
One key change will greatly shift student success – include movement-based learning activities throughout the school day.
A 2013 report from the Institute of Medicine concluded that “Children who are more active show greater attention, have faster cognitive processing speed, and perform better on standardized academic tests than children who are less active. Of course, academic performance is influenced by other factors as well, such as parental involvement and socioeconomic status.” The report goes on to say that, “a “whole-of-school” approach is needed to obtain maximum benefits for students.” Thus, a wide implementation such as incorporating movement into academics and academics into physical education classes, adding parent engagement events, and more opportunities for movement during transition times and before and after school is ideal.
Studies overwhelmingly show that kinesthetic learning:
1. Strengthens student learning and improves retention
2. Enhances student motivation
3. Engages students and parents
STRENGTHEN LEARNING and IMPROVE RETENTION
Classrooms across the nation have seen positive changes in students’ self-discipline and test scores. The reason why? Their teachers are incorporating cross-body movements, chanting, skip-counting, songs, and dance into subjects like math, reading, and even science. When students learn through movement, it strengthens their academics and their overall love for learning. Please see the case studies below for compelling data from pre-Kindergarten and third grade classes.
Students’ ability to retain what they learn is also improved. Exercise gives the brain oxygen and feeds it neurotrophins (small amounts of nutrients) which increases the number of neurons. Studies show this creates better cognition, memory, and reduced likelihood of depression (Kempermann, 2002). Teaching a study session through movement may help students remember more vocabulary words for a test and for longer-term usage in speaking and writing.
ENHANCE MOTIVATION
When we engage students through movement, the brain releases a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine activates the “reward center” of students’ brains and makes students energetic and happy. For example, if you are teaching a math class lecture style, it may be difficult for some students to release dopamine. Auditory or visual learners may receive some benefit from lectures, while kinesthetic learners struggle. When students engage in movement while learning, dopamine is released and students are motivated. Movement makes learning new, exciting, and rewarding.
ENGAGE STUDENTS and PARENTS
It is widely agreed that the learning process should span from home to school to community. Parents are an important part in helping to reinforce the lessons learned in school and at school events such as a family math night. At family math nights, parents are shown how to be engaged with all of the activities and are also provided resources to continue the learning with their children at home. Parents and children respond very positively to this and, when fostered by the school, this process can bloom into a stronger relationship with the school and ongoing family engagement.
ACADEMICS and KINESTHETIC LEARNING
What happens when you combine movement with learning key academic skills? When students are introduced to kinesthetic learning through movement at a young age, they are more likely to continue to be successful throughout the rest of their education. Physical activity can be added to the academic classroom and academic concepts can be taught in the physical education program, as well.
COMPELLING DATA
Two recent case studies illustrate what is possible with consistent movement while teaching key math concepts in the classroom and in a break-out supplemental program. Similar results are achieved when offering kinesthetic learning activities during physical education classes.
FIRST STUDY (3RD GRADE)
The first case study comes from North Carolina – a year-long consistent implementation of Math & Movement in two classrooms (Cohort A - 43 students) compared with two classrooms that only used kinesthetic materials as a resource rather than a focal point (Cohort B – 40 students) and two other classrooms that did not use movement-based learning at all (Cohort C – 40 students).
Cohort A used direct lessons, math stations, interventions, and math warm-ups were done regularly using the materials with all students. Cohort B classrooms used the program inconsistently and more as a resource to enhance student learning. Kinesthetic support materials were available to students, but with less explicit instruction. Cohort C did not participate.
The End-of-Year MAPS (Measure of Academic Progress scores) for each Cohort Group are listed below. The data represents the number of students who met or exceeded their projected RIT score (an RIT score is an estimation of a student’s instructional level and also measures student progress or growth in school).
Cohort A: 89% of students made their projected RIT
Cohort B: 53% of students made their projected RIT
Cohort C: 36% of students made their projected RIT
The End-of-Year MAPS data for each third Grade Cohort is also listed below for the percentage of students who grew above their growth projection.
Cohort A: 165% of students
Cohort B: 106% of students
Cohort C: 84% of students
The data suggests that those students who had more opportunities to use the kinesthetic learning program, in addition to other math instruction and materials, made higher growth gains in mathematics.
SECOND STUDY (PREK)
The second case study comes from Syracuse, New York – a six-week deep implementation of Math & Movement in the Pre-Kindergarten program of an elementary school. This study shows how quickly young children can learn and how easy it can be to have a big impact on student success, including children from low socio-economic status households.
At this school, Math & Movement provided an on-site intensive experience which included Math & Movement staff providing 30 minutes of direct teaching using the Math & Movement kinesthetic learning program to two classrooms of students for five days per week for ten weeks. Participating students significantly increased their math skills, with most students starting with minimal skills and ending six weeks later with solid one-to-one correspondence and the ability to count to ten. They also met the physical education (PE) outcome of having the ability to perform cross-body movement at the shoulder, hip, or knee.
CONCLUSION
Many other examples from across the nation show the great success that strong kinesthetic learning programs, such as Math & Movement, are creating for a wide range of student abilities and backgrounds. Kinesthetic learning is versatile, fun, and effective.
Clearly, kinesthetic learning programs, especially when offered consistently, strengthen learning and improve retention, enhance motivation, and engage students and parents! If you’d like more information about a widely used and proven successful program, please visit www.mathandmovement.com.
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REFERENCES:
“Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics.” Scott Freeman, Sarah L. Eddy, Miles McDonough, Michelle K. Smith, Nnadozie Okoroafor, Hannah Jordt, and Mary Pat Wenderoth. PNAS June 10, 2014. 111 (23) 8410-8415; published ahead of print May 12, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1319030111
2016 US Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth. National Physical Activity Plan Alliance. Columbia, SC; 2016.
“Why new neurons? Possible functions for adult hippocampal neurogenesis.” Kempermann G. J Neurosci. 2002 Feb 1; 22(3):635-8.
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BIO FOR MATH & MOVEMENT FOUNDER: Suzy Koontz, Founder and CEO of Learn Thru Movement, dba Math & Movement, is an actuary, an educational consultant, a math teacher, and the creator of Math & Movement, Movement & Literacy and over 150 kinesthetic teaching tools. As the author of over 15 books, Suzy’s passion is helping students recognize their ability to learn and helping them lead healthier lives while achieving academic success. Suzy’s mission is for ALL students to be on grade level in math and reading. As a national presenter for schools, conferences and PTA/O, Suzy shares how movement-based learning can assist in accomplishing this goal. Suzy’s work has been featured in television, radio and print. Please see Suzy's media performances, at https://mathandmovement.com/
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