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A few short and sweet breaks

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Take a Mindful Moment With Your Students

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Dance and music are powerful tools for engaging students in equity-focused and culturally responsive Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). In these turbulent times, a little bit of music and movement can go a long way to bringing joy and healing to both in-person and remote learning spaces.

In this post, we'll explore the connections between the arts and issues of equity and offer 5 ways educators can incorporate dance and music into both virtual and in-person learning this school year.

And never fear! Our strategies are easy to implement regardless of a teacher's personal comfort level with dance or music.

Benefits for Students

When integrated into school curriculum, dance and music can be used to:

Create a friendly and welcoming atmosphere

Increase students' ability to focus & concentrate

Calm and soothe students whose emotions are running high

Enhance learning, creativity & critical thinking skills

Develop a full range of SEL competencies (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, responsible decision-making)

5 Ways to Include Dance/Music This School Year (even when virtual!)
#1 - Use Music & Movement to Open and Close Your Sessions
Entering a room - whether in person or virtually - can be intimidating for people of any age. Music can transform your environment to make everyone feel more relaxed. By playing a bit of music to begin a session with students, you can set the tone for the day. Depending on the group and their needs, you may want to play energizing music to catch their attention, or something soothing to create a sense of calm.

To add movement: you can lead some simple moves for students to follow along, or you can have students take turns leading a move and everyone else mirroring them. This is also a great way for students to physically check in and feel seen.

EduMotion's "Just Move" mode offers a way to bring a multi-cultural aspect to the movement and music students explore and makes for a great 5-minute opening or closing activity.
#2 - Offer movement or song breaks when you transition to new activities or to break up a longer session
Similarly, a short dance or movement video to follow along to provides a great way to re-energize a group when transitioning between various activities or to break up a longer session. To add student voice, you can invite students to submit short videos or songs that they think would be fun for the class to enjoy together during a break. Just make sure you review student submissions ahead of time and set some rules about what makes for appropriate content.
#3 - Provide a weekly SEL lesson that incorporates dance or other art forms
For many teachers, the greatest barrier to integrating the arts is a lack of experience in these areas. Using dance and movement activities to foster learning is not as hard as it sounds, and a number of resources exist to take the pressure off of teachers and program facilitators to lead the activities.

When it comes to arts-integrated SEL, EduMotion: SEL Journeys allows participants to explore the world while focusing on themes like diversity, empathy and kindness. During each 20- to 30-minute journey, students choose a cultural destination and then follow along to learn simple movements inspired by a dance from the selected culture. The sessions open and close with exploration of an SEL theme.
#4 - Invite families to a live session where they can dance together
Whether you host it in-person or virtually, a family dance party can be an incredible way to foster parent-child bonds. To involve students in planning the event, get their input on song and dance content and have them create invitations for their parents to attend. Then, when you host the event, you can use pre-recorded dance lessons for everyone to follow along to or invite in a special guest teaching artist to lead the festivities (here's more info about engaging with dance teaching artists for live sessions). Try to offer a format that encourages parents to dance with their child, rather than passively watch the festivities.
#5 - Work with students to plan a talent show or virtual music/dance video showcase
A great way to build self-confidence is to provide opportunities for students to showcase their talents. You can offer this informally as a chance for students to share their talents and get to know each other better, or more formally as a presentation that you invite others to attend. If offering informally, you can even invite students to sign up for a specific day and just spotlight one student each day. If planning a more structured presentation, consider working with students to pick a theme and plan a lineup of performances. Make sure to have a few rehearsals and try to add some group numbers that everyone can perform in together (singing and dance are both ideal for ensemble work). You can host it live either in-person or online. Either way, consider getting permission to record it so students can share it with family members who can't attend the live event.

The Equity Lens

Dance and music are great ways to build confidence and self-esteem for students of diverse backgrounds and provide a particularly meaningful opportunity for expression of cultural identity and pride. The arts can also help students overcome cultural and linguistic obstacles by offering an outlet for nonverbal expression and communication.

When choosing resources to use for dance or music-based activities, keep in mind that incorporating diverse genres can be useful in fostering cross-cultural understanding and respect. By studying dance and music forms that originate in other parts of the world, students gain understanding of the history, identities, and values of others.

Just like trying anything new with your students, the first few steps are often the hardest. While adding dance and movement to your programming may sound intimidating, the potential benefits are well worth it. Please reach out and connect with the EduMotion team if you'd like some support in implementing dance and music-based activities.
Like this post? Join EduMotion for a bi-monthly SEL Spotlight newsletter and Dance of the Month membership!

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Welcoming Students with Music & Dance| EduMotion

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Dance and music are powerful tools for engaging students in equity-focused and culturally responsive Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). In these turbulent times, a little bit of music and movement can go a long way to bringing joy and healing to both in-person and remote learning spaces.

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STANDING SPINE STRETCH-BALANCE AND TURNING

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STANDING SPINE STRETCH-BALANCE AND TURNING

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5 minutes

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Select Login - SchoolTube - Safe video sharing and management for K12

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6 minutes

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3 minutes

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2 Minutes

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I don't know about you, but when I sit through a faculty meeting or professional development session of any sort, I start getting antsy by the 30-minute mark. If you can relate, just imagine how your students must feel when they've been sitting for too long. Educational brain breaks are the perfect way to help your students redirect their energy and focus when they start to fade.

I find it super-beneficial to incorporate quick mindful, physical, and mental check-ins with my students as a regular part of my classroom routine. These breaks include all types of movement, yoga and breathing exercises, as well as jokes, quick videos, and more. The activities I use have helped me throughout my lifetime, so I love sharing them with my students. Here are my favorite educational brain breaks that are sure to increase productivity and give your kids a much-needed way to unwind before the next lesson.

Mindful Educational Brain Breaks

1. Use transition times for mental check-ins

Transitions are a big part of the elementary school day. When I first started teaching 19 years ago, I was surprised by just how much time it takes to get ready for specials or to bring students back from centers. It's hard not to feel like that's lost time. That's why using transition time for mental health check-ins is such a game changer. Mental health check-ins can help students get in touch with their emotions, refresh and recharge, acknowledge and cope with negative thoughts and overwhelming feelings, and be more focused throughout the day.

2. Pretend to breathe like an animal

Source: Stephanie Sanders

This video shows students how to pretend to breath like some of their favorite animals. The snake breath involves hissing while slithering from side to side, while the whale breath has students pretend to breathe out through a blowhole! Tap into creativity by picking other interesting animals and acting them out through breath.

3. Do a 10-minute guided meditation

These guided meditations are educational and are perfect to use as brain breaks whenever you and your students just need to breathe. Catch your breath with any of these 20 guided video meditations.

4. Practice "focus ball" breathing

Walk your kids through the following exercise: Stand or sit with legs and feet together. Bring your palms together in front of your chest. Keep your fingertips touching as you pull your palms apart, forming a ball with your fingers. Press your fingertips together until you feel the muscles in your hands and arms activating. See if you feel your core tighten too. Now close your eyes and as you breathe in, inflate your ball, and as you breathe out, flatten the ball by pushing your palms together. (Repeat these instructions for 60 seconds).

Learn more: Mindful.org

5. Try the old ear-nose switcheroo

This is a quick and easy challenge to reset the brain. Instruct kids to touch their left ear with their right hand and at the same time touch their nose with their left hand. Then have them switch their hands and touch their right ear with their left hand and their nose with their right hand. Switch back and forth a few times. Then have them close their eyes, take a deep breath, and blow it all out.

Learn more: YouTube: Ear-Nose Switch

6. Take a yoga break

Source: The Pyjama Foundation

Inspire kids to move, stretch, and practice mindfulness with yoga. These printable yoga cards make it easy to incorporate yoga into your educational brain breaks. Each page includes a picture and description of the pose, and each page includes poses of increasing difficulty from level 1 to level 5. And don't worry, it's not a huge time commitment. The sequence on each card is designed to take only a few minutes.

7. Stretch it out

It's never a good idea to spend too much time sitting in one position. Allow kids to take a break and bring some flexibility back into their spines. Have them stand with their feet shoulder-distance apart. Put their left hand on their hip and raise their right hand overhead. Lean to the left and stretch their arm as far as they can to the left. Repeat on the right side. Then stand tall and slowly roll down one vertebra at a time until their hands reach the floor (or at least their shins). Have them take a deep breath then slowly roll back up. Repeat as necessary.

Learn more: Mom Junction

8. Focus on sound

Have kids sit quietly with their eyes closed. Ring a chime or gong. Have them listen carefully to the chime, feeling the vibration in their body as the sound reverberates and then slowly fades. Tell them to breathe slowly and deeply as they focus on the sound.

9. Do a quick mindfulness activity

Mindfulness activity cards provide great educational brain breaks. Stash a pack in your desk and pull them out whenever you need them. Each card will give a prompt for kids to try that will let them refocus and recharge. Perfect for moments when you need to bring down the energy in the room.

Buy it: Mindfulness Cards for Kids at Amazon

10. Chill out with this cross-body exercise

Have kids stand tall and cross one leg in front of the other while pressing the outsides of their feet together. Now have them cross their arms over each other at the wrists. Clasp their hands and curl their arms into their chest. Take a few breaths, and uncross and cross the opposite way for a few more breaths.

11. Float with jellyfish

When you really need to take the energy in your room down a notch, turn off the lights, set a timer, and put on a calming video. For example, Cat Trumpet put together a jellyfish aquarium video where kids will find themselves under the brilliant blue sea in the middle of a swarm of jellyfish. They'll be mesmerized by the slow, fluid motions and lulled into calmness by the soothing music.

12. Break out the hot hands

This is a good break when you sense a weariness in the air. Have kids rub their hands together vigorously until they warm up. Tell them to close their eyes and place their hands over their eyes. Instruct them to breathe deeply as they clear their minds and refocus.

13. Try cat and cow poses

Source: Flow and Grow Kids Yoga

Have kids start on all fours and then give them the following instructions to complete the cat and cow yoga poses: Place your shoulders over your wrists and hips over your knees. Arch your back to the sky and tuck in the tailbone (cat pose). Let your head fall between your arms. From there, sink the belly towards the ground, and lift the chest and chin (cow pose). Gently alternate between the two poses while breathing deeply.

14. Do nothing for two minutes

Never underestimate the power of stillness. When the energy gets a little ramped up, and it's time for the entire class to take a pause, have them drop everything and glue their eyes to the screen as you show this countdown. The gentle lulling of the waves and the sight of the sun sparkling off the water will reset their nervous system in a jiffy.

Learn More: Calm

15. Spread your wings (in slow motion)

Walk your kids through this winged movement: Sit cross-legged on the floor. Stretch your arms down by your sides with your palms facing inward toward your body. Slowly raise both arms while rotating hands forward. When your arms reach shoulder level, your hands should be facing forward. Continue raising arms, slowly rotating palms so that by the time hands are overhead, palms are facing each other. Slowly lower arms, repeating the rotation (palms facing each other, palms facing forward, palms facing sides) until they are once again resting at your sides. As you raise and lower your arms, stretch them as long as you can, as if you are scraping the sides of the room and the ceiling. Repeat slowly three times, breathing deeply.

Physical Education Brain Breaks

16. Play Silent Ball when you have downtime

You can play a quick game of Silent Ball anytime, anywhere. Play a quick three-minute game right before dismissal or before transitioning to a new activity. All you need is a small squishy ball. The rules are simple: 1) stay quiet and 2) don't drop the ball when passing it around. This activity is one of those educational brain breaks that builds a positive classroom community, fosters friendly competition, and boosts nonverbal communication. Enjoy the silence.

17. Line up in unique ways

Kids are very social and curious beings. Most of them love to chat with one another at any chance they can get. Lining up to leave the room for anything is the perfect chance for them to mix and mingle. Make a more productive use of this time by having students line up in special ways. Some fun ideas include lining up in alphabetical order by name, by birth date, or by height order.

18. Just jump!

Sometimes kids just need to bounce their energy out. Have them pretend they are bouncing on a mini-trampoline (this will keep their movement on a vertical plane instead of all over the room), and give them a couple of minutes to let loose!

19. Take a cue from the stadium

Here's one for a group of kids-start the wave! Beginning at one end of the room, kids stand up and throw their arms overhead, bringing them back down as they return to their seats. Each row follows until you reach the other end of the room. Amp it up by encouraging your kids to tap their feet or tap their hands on their legs so that they are in constant motion. This activity works great on Zoom too!

20. Stir the pot

Have kids visualize they are standing in front of an enormous cauldron. Inside the cauldron is an ooey-gooey pot of caramel. Take hold of a large stirrer and plunge it to the bottom of the pot. Slowly begin to stir in a clockwise direction. Have them use their whole body to help get a full range of motion in their wrists and shoulders. Instruct them to throw their hips into the action. After a minute or two, reverse the direction.

21. Make it rain

Conjure up a rainstorm! Sitting or standing at a desk or table, have kids tap one finger on the desk, then two, then three, then four, then their whole hand until you all feel like you're in the middle of a deluge. Work your way backward from five down to one as the storm ebbs away.

22. Energize with these

First, instruct kids to touch their left elbow to their right knee, then touch their right elbow to their left knee. Switch back and forth, going slowly at first, building speed until they are going at a vigorous pace. Next, do some windmills by standing tall with their feet shoulder-width apart and their arms stretched out. Bend at the waist and touch their right hand to their left toes, then their left hand to their right toes. Switch back and forth.

23. Make X's and O's

Walk kids through the following exercise: Sitting in a chair with your feet on the ground and legs together, curl your body into your lap, folding yourself into a tiny O shape. Next, open your arms and legs wide, forming an X shape with your body. Pull back into an O shape, then back out to an X shape. Repeat three times.

24. Energize in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Get hearts pumping with a quick sequence of exercises. Call out five actions for your students to do as quickly as they can. For instance, five jumping jacks, four push-ups, three sit-ups, two squat jumps, and one tree pose.

25. Take a cruise on an imaginary skateboard

Have your kids line up next to a wall and place one hand on the wall. Tell them to plant the foot closest to the wall and swing the other leg, as if pushing off the ground on a skateboard. Start slowly, with tiny swings, moving up to power pushes. Repeat on the other side.

26. Take a break to groove

Music is a great way to reset the mood in a room and raise the energy level. Put on a fun song and have a 30-second freestyle dance party. Here's a big list of school-appropriate songs for kids.

27. Or take it to the next level

Teach your kids the steps to popular dances such as the Cha-Cha Slide, the Macarena, or the Kidz Bop Shuffle.

28. Ramp up with a round of cherry pickers

This easy activity will get your students' hearts pumping and give their brains a boost. Have them jump up off the ground, then down to the floor into a push-up position. From there, instruct them to hop their feet up into a frog position, then pop up to a standing position.

29. Clap on, clap off

When you say "clap on," kids clap their hands vigorously together. When you say "clap off," they stop as quickly as they can and freeze. Or follow along with this a fun video.

30. Skip it out

When the energy is fading and kids need to get their blood flowing, put on a peppy song and pull out the imaginary jump ropes. Have kids skip or jump rope in place until the song ends.

31. Make like a blender

Tell kids it's time to make fruit smoothies. Ask them to pretend they are in a blender and they are strawberries (or blueberries or bananas, etc.). Dramatically pour orange juice or yogurt into the air in front of you. Tell kids when you flip the switch that they need to wiggle and jiggle (separately, not together) until they are each individually blended up. Start with a slow speed, moving up to medium speed, fast speed, and finally turbo speed. And then reverse it! Start at turbo speed and go back to slow speed.

32. Celebrate with a silent cheer

This activity is perfect for the end of an activity or a sustained amount of work time-especially for kids who are learning remotely. Let kids stand up and silently cheer and gesture in celebration. How animated can they get?!

33. Do a full-body workout

This kid-friendly exercise video is great for your body and brain! Kids can follow along through a set of workout moves that will get their blood pumping.

34. Play popcorn

Students will all be sitting in their chairs, and at any time, a student can jump up and say, "Pop!" Once they do, that student remains standing. If two students pop up at the same time, everyone takes their seats, and the game starts over. How quickly can the entire class pop without having to start over?

35. Hit the wall

Pushing against a solid object is a good way to displace extra energy from your body. Have kids stand facing a wall with their arms stretched out in front of them, palms on the surface of the wall. Push the wall away with all their strength for a count of ten. Relax for five seconds, then push again. Other activities they can do at the wall include calf stretches and wall push-ups.

36. 3, 2, 1 blastoff!

Instruct kids to stand and then squat down with their hands on the ground in front of them. All together, count down 3, 2, 1. When you get to zero, they should push up like a rocket, jumping as high as they can-letting all of their energy burst from their center.

37. Quick as a snap, wink

This is a quick and easy refocusing activity. Tell kids to snap their left fingers while they wink their right eye. Switch to snapping their right fingers while winking their left eye. This activity is particularly effective for younger learners who may find both activities challenging.

38. Balance break

A great way to get kids out of their chairs is to practice balance. Have them hop on one foot. Then up the ante by having them stand on one foot and bend their other knee out in front of them.

39. Tabletop push-ups

Kids can use their desk, a chair, the side of their couch-anything really. Have them place their hands on the table and focus their eyes in the center, moving down slowly and pushing back up.

40. Try some facial gymnastics

Have kids get their silly on for 30 seconds. Tell them to wiggle their eyebrows up and down as fast as they can. Then try to raise one eyebrow at a time.

Mental Brain Breaks That Are Educational

41. Take a comedy break

Comedy is a great release when the atmosphere is feeling a little intense. Show a funny video clip or have kids volunteer to tell a joke or pose a few silly riddles. We have compiled a number of jokes by theme on WeAreTeachers for kids of all ages for guaranteed laughs. For example, your students will love one of our most recent additions, 34 Cat Jokes for Kids. From there, you can find dog jokes, seasonal jokes, food jokes, and much more.

42. Share fun facts

In addition to joke compilations, we have plenty of fun fact lists on our site with themes that will thrill your students. Plus they're an educational way to teach your students new information during brain breaks. Get started with these fun feline facts to accompany the jokes above. Meow!

43. Practice another language

Source: startasl.com

Teach your kids the alphabet in sign language. Use brain breaks to practice by singing the ABCs while signing the letters. Then practice vocabulary words by spelling them out loud while signing the letters.

44. Find out how it's made

Remember that classic Sesame Street video about how crayons are made? We watched in awe as crayons rolled off the assembly line, wrapped in paper, and then slipped into those familiar cardboard boxes. Kids today are just as fascinated by how things are made! Here are our favorite videos about how things are made-from fireworks to LEGO.

45. Take a doodle break

According to researcher Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, downtime is essential for brain health. Kids need time for their growing brains to integrate and process the vast amount of information they receive each day. In other words, it is actually beneficial to give our kids time to allow their minds to wander. Try this: Set a timer for three to five minutes and let kids silently doodle with pencil and paper or a dry-erase board and marker while soft, calming music plays in the background.

Learn more: Sage Journals

46. Try a directed-drawing activity

Directed drawing activities walk your students through the process step-by-step so anyone can create their very own masterpiece. Teachers can lead the session by drawing on the whiteboard or chart paper while students follow along. Even better, there are plenty of videos on YouTube that lead the lesson, giving you a little break too. We have done the work and gathered some our favorite free directed-drawing activities for kids. Grab your favorite art supplies and get creative!

47. Gather your favorite GIFs

Make a slideshow of your favorite GIFs and have your kids act them out. Funny animals are a good place to start!

48. Find the object

Kids don't even have to get out of their seats for this one, but they can! Have one student start by finding an object and saying, "I see something beginning with the letter [fill in the blank]." The first person to guess the item correctly gets to choose the next object. This can be a fun one to play on Zoom too! You can have kids add in additional clues to help.

49. Clap for a little call-and-response

Pep things up with a little call-and-response clapping. It's simple to do and is often used in the classroom to get students' attention. Simply clap out a pattern that your kids will repeat back to you. Switch out the pattern a few times until everyone is focused and engaged. Alternatively, try a vocal call-and-response. Sing out a few riffs and have kids echo the tune back to you.

50. Color yourself mellow

Even grown-ups have picked up on the coloring craze as an excellent way to calm down and zone out. Put on some nice mellow background music, set a timer, and pass out some of these free mandala coloring pages.

51. Try a brain-break spinner

One way to make sure educational brain breaks are effective is to change up activities. Check out these online movement spinners for Wheel of Fortune-type games that help you add variety to brain breaks!

53. Would You Rather?

Students of all ages love participating in Would You Rather? videos, which can be found all over YouTube these days. Each video is approximately 8 minutes long, and students are given two scenarios where they choose which one they would rather participate in. Topics range from food items to activity choices to places to visit and more. As students choose the scenario, they move to either the right or left side of the room. Students then perform 30-second rounds of a specified exercise before repeating the process with another choice. Some of our favorite Would You Rather? channels include PE with Mr. G, Phonics Man, and Fix and Play. Students love when their teacher participates with them in the fun!

Learn more: PE With Mr. G

52. Write it out

Don't underestimate the power of journaling or creative writing. Give your kids a 5- or 10-minute break to open up a page of their notebook and write about anything they'd like. They don't have to share it with the class or do anything else with it; just use the quiet time to focus on something they love and want to write about.

Educational Video Brain Breaks by Grade Level

54. Brain-break compilations by grade level

If you are looking for a sample of brain breaks suitable for your students by grade level, look no further. We have created separate links of 25 videos each for individual grades at the elementary level. Go down the list and find your favorite!
Kindergarten Brain Breaks First Grade Brain Breaks Second Grade Brain Breaks Third Grade Brain Breaks Fourth Grade Brain Breaks Fifth Grade Brain Breaks
What educational brain breaks do you love? Share them in the comments!

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Quick, easy educational brain breaks that will help students re-energize, refocus, and give their brains a much-needed boost.

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Jaime's Fantastically Fun Yoga & Mindfulness

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Bite-sized interactive activities designed to nourish your little ones' mental health and can be used year-round.

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Each of the games below allow for proper distancing and don't require any shared equipment. Games are organized by age group and spaces where they can be played. Each link will take you to online game rules, a downloadable pdf, and a video which explain how to set-up, play, and modify each game.

You will also find general resources on how to organize play spaces, safely transition young people to and from these spaces, and get their attention.

If you are unable to hold in-person activities, we also offer free trainings on engaging kids in movement through virtual programming. Check out our remote trainings here.

Getting started: Watch this video for tips for running a safe, active, and fun activity. In this video, we will review (1) our ready, explain, play strategy for organizing recess, (2) tips on how to lead a game, and (3) conflict resolution strategies.

View our task tent activities designed for kids to play independently. All task tents are ideal for students in kindergarten through fifth grade and can be played in almost any space including auditoriums, cafeterias, gyms, hallways, and playgrounds.

Help Asphalt Green provide resources for kids to stay active. Asphalt Green, like many nonprofits, has felt the effects of COVID-19. We need your support now more than ever to continue providing for the community. We are stronger together.
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Check out Asphalt Green on YouTube! Our interactive videos get kids moving, encourage creativity, and require little space and no equipment. Plus, they are just 10 minutes long - perfect for homework breaks, a Saturday morning stretch, or any time your child needs to release energy.
Kindergarten to Second Grade

Animal Kingdom (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Animal Relay (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

Body Bingo (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Bust a Rhyme (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Clap and Move (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Classy Moves (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Detective (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Do as I Say, Not as I Do (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Explorers (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Fitness Relay (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

Freeze Dance Party (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Heart Smart (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

High Wire (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Hit Record (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

Hungry Wolf (Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

I'm Going to Recess (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Kitty Cat Careers (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Line Math (Gymnasium, Playground)

Lion's Den (Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

Memory Making (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Name and Motion (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Pass the Movements (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Red Light, Green Light (Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

Riverbank (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library)

Show Me Your Moves (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

Simon Says (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Speedway (Gymnasium, Playground)

Steal the Bacon (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

Sticks (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

Storytellers (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Sun, Moon, Earth (Gymnasium, Playground)

Switch, Change, Rotate (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Temple Runner (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library)

The Maze (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Twizzle (Auditorium, Classroom, Hallway, Gymnasium )

Up, Down, Stomp, Clap (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Third Grade to Fifth Grade

Ah-So-Co (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Alien (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Alien, Tiger, Cow (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

All My Neighbors (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Animal Kingdom (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Animal Relay (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

Ba-Boom (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Body Bingo (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Bust a Rhyme (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Classy Moves (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Countdown (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Detective (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Do as I Say, Not as I Do (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Fitness Relay (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

Freeze Dance Party (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Heart Smart (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

Hit Record (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

Hungry Wolf (Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

I'm Going to Recess (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Jedi Mind Trick (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Kitty Cat Careers (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Line Math (Gymnasium, Playground)

Lion's Den (Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

Memory Making (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Mirror, Mirror (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Name and Motion (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Pass the Movements (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Pat, Clap, Thump (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Red Light, Green Light (Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

Riverbank (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library)

RPS Rumble (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Shipwreck (Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

Show Me Your Moves (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

Simon Says (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Slow Motions (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Spark (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Speedway (Gymnasium, Playground)

Splat (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Steal the Bacon (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

Sticks (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

Storytellers (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Sun, Moon, Earth (Gymnasium, Playground)

Switch, Change, Rotate (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Temple Runner (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library)

The Great Debate (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

The Maze (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Twizzle (Auditorium, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway)

Up, Down, Stomp, Clap (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway Library, Playground)

Wait a Minute (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Whoosh! (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Zip, Zap, Zoom (Auditorium, Hallway, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Library, Playground)

Sixth Grade to Eighth Grade

Ah-So-Co (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Alien (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Alien, Tiger, Cow (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

All My Neighbors (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Animal Kingdom (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Ba-Boom (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Body Bingo (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Countdown (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Do as I Say, Not as I Do (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Fitness Relay (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

Hungry Wolf (Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

I'm Going to Recess (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Jedi Mind Trick (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Kitty Cat Careers (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Line Math (Gymnasium, Playground)

Lion's Den (Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

Mirror, Mirror (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Name and Motion (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Pass the Movements (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Pat, Clap, Thump (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

RPS Rumble (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Shipwreck (Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

Slow Motions (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Spark (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Speedway (Gymnasium, Playground)

Splat (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Steal the Bacon (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

Sticks (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Gymnasium, Hallway, Playground)

Sun, Moon, Earth (Gymnasium, Playground)

The Great Debate (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

The Maze (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Up, Down, Stomp, Clap (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Wait a Minute (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Whoosh! (Auditorium, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Hallway, Library, Playground)

Zip, Zap, Zoom (Auditorium, Hallway, Cafeteria, Classroom, Gymnasium, Library, Playground)

About Asphalt Green
Asphalt Green is a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting individuals of all ages and backgrounds achieve health through a lifetime of sports and fitness. At Asphalt Green, we believe sports and fitness have the power to change lives.

About REP
Our Recess Enhancement Program (REP) addresses barriers to physical activity by reclaiming the most underutilized part of the school day - recess. Each year, REP serves more than 28,000 students (kindergarten through fifth grade) from 60 elementary schools in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. All the resources here are cornerstones of the program.

To learn more about our training and consultation services, click here or contact communityprograms@asphaltgreen.org.

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Kids' Games for Social Distancing | Asphalt Green

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Each of the games below allow for proper distancing and don't require any shared equipment. Games are organized by age group and spaces where they can be played. Each link will take you to online game rules, a downloadable pdf, and a video which explain how to set-up, play, and modify each game.

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As we envision back to school, one thing is certain: this year will be different. Even if schools have in-classroom learning, social distancing will be important. So what do we do about physical education? Kids need to stay active, and while you might not be able to teach skill development, sports, or fitness, where students are sharing the same equipment, it is possible to continue PE classes in this environment. Not sure where to start? We've come up with this list of social distancing PE activities and games to help you out!

Ready. Set. Race!

One good thing about racing is that it tends to be a solo sport! Stagger students six feet apart and they're ready to race. Make it a challenge by introducing hurdles or sprints between cones. You could even work on hand-eye coordination by having students race with an egg balanced on a spoon.

Prep for a Cat Cow Yoga Pose

Give each child their own yoga mat for the semester or year, and you're ready to introduce a set of poses. And let's face it, keeping students mindful and calm will be key this year. Not sure where to start? Use yoga cards to walk students through the poses.

Play a Round of Frisbee Golf

Frisbee golf is great for pairing students up on teams. Give each student their own frisbee and set up a course. The first one to get their frisbee to the target wins!

Get Warmed Up

You don't always have to use equipment to break a sweat! Use these exercises to get students warmed up.

Dance to the Beat

Nearly all kids love to dance! Turn on some music and teach a variety of dance steps or let them freestyle. For the hesitant students, give them a task like coming up with a greeting using only their feet. If you're looking to implement a complete dance unit, try SPARKdance.

Play an Activity Game

There are so many great activity games you can play as a class. Try Simon Says, Red Light/Green Light, or even do a round of charades! Another one of our favorite social distancing PE activities is doing Mirror Movements. Pair up students and have them face each other, six feet apart. One student does a movement and the other tries to mirror it!

Practice Sports Drills

While students may not be able to play a team sport, it doesn't mean they can't practice the drills behind that sport. Ideas include throwing a football through a hula hoop, kicking a soccer ball into a goal, throwing a basketball into a hoop (these ones even show hand placement for proper shooting!), or using a field hockey stick to hit pucks into a net. As long as students have their own clearly-marked ball and maintain distance, they can easily continue to practice skills.

Create a High Wire Act

Mark off a length of the floor with tape and allow students to walk across it like a balance beam! If they fall off, have them do jumping jacks and go to the back of the line to start again. Want to make it more of a challenge? Have them do different moves along the tape (somersaults or cartwheels for a gymnastics element) or create zig/zags or an obstacle course with the tape.

Get Moving

Scatter students around the room or field and have them work on their movement skills. Give them their own balls to juggle, have them jump rope, or even offer them a hula hoop to get those hips moving. See who can do it the longest or have them compete against themselves to increase the number each round.

Use Exercise Cards

Still at a loss? Need ideas for warm-up activities? Take out a pack of exercise cards and get students moving through a series of exercises. Make it even more fun and roll a large dice to see how many reps they should do of each exercise!
Looking for exercise equipment for all your active students this year? Make sure to check out Gopher , the leader in quality physical education, athletics, and fitness equipment.

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10 Social Distancing PE Activities & Games - WeAreTeachers

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As we envision back to school, one thing is certain: this year will be different. Even if schools have in-classroom learning, social distancing will be important. So what do we do about physical education?

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The mind is like the wind and the body like the sand; if you want to know which way the wind is blowing, you can look at the sand.                           ~Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen

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The mind is like the wind and the body like the sand; if you want to know which way the wind is blowing, you can look at the sand.                           ~Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen

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World Languages-let the kids create movements for vocabulary (not just literal but figurative)

Mathematics-rhythm and gestures

Science-movement symbols for formulas and scientific processes (in middle levels, processes; in upper levels, concepts in Chemistry, Biology & Physics)

Vocabulary gestures, all subjects (student created)

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No one part of the central nervous system works alone. Messages must go back and forth from one part to another, so that touch can aid vision, vision can aid balance, balance can aid body awareness, body awareness can aid movement, movement can aid learning, and so forth.

~Carol Stock Kranowitz, M.A.

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Brain-Body Breaks* (at least every 20 minutes)

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Brain-Body Breaks* (at least every 20 minutes)

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1-minute breathing breaks (nose inhale and exhale with masks)

2-minute stand and stretch breaks, student led-favorite movements, mix it up

2-minute Fascia Movement

Simon Says or other games, student-led/or teacher-led (have several topics)

Mindfulness-lights down 2 minutes of quiet/or soft sound/app/or led meditation

Body Tapping-Bone Rhythms

Shaking-Balancing (Release and Collect Energy)

Songs incorporating movement, YouTube, Free Dance

Brain Dance Patterns  (see chart and descriptions)

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Current brain research has proven that exercise:

Improves cognition and delays dementia by increasing the protein in our brain cells

Reduces depression by increasing the flow of serotonin and dopamine (feel good chemicals)

Maintains flexibility through the release of synovial fluid in our joints

Develops core strength

Reduces fatigue and stress

Increases attention and focus

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Teaching with the Brain in Mind, 2nd Edition

About

Since Teaching with the Brain in Mind was first published in 1998, it has inspired thousands of educators to apply brain research in their classroom teaching. Now, author Eric Jensen is back with a completely revised and updated edition of his classic work, featuring new research and practical strategies to enhance student comprehension and improve student achievement. In easy to understand, engaging language, Jensen provides a basic orientation to the brain and its various systems and explains how they affect learning. After discussing what parents and educators can do to get children's brains in good shape for school, Jensen goes on to explore topics such as motivation, critical thinking skills, environmental factors, the "social brain," emotions, and memory. He offers fascinating insights on a number of specific issues, including

Table of contents

Preparing the Brain for School

Book details

Product No.

ISBN

Release Date

Page Count

Member Book

No

187

May 2005

978-1-4166-0030-5

104013

ASCD empowers educators to achieve excellence in learning, teaching, and leading so that every child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.

Sign up for our newsletter

Questions?

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Teaching with the Brain in Mind, 2nd Edition - ASCD

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Since Teaching with the Brain in Mind was first published in 1998, it has inspired thousands of educators to apply brain research in their classroom teaching. Now, author Eric Jensen is back with a completely revised and updated edition of his classic work, featuring new research and practical strat

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Podcast and documented ideas

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Sponsored by Pear Deck and NewseumED

This page contains Amazon Affiliate and Bookshop.org links. When you make a purchase through these links, Cult of Pedagogy gets a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. What's the difference between Amazon and Bookshop.org?

If you were to start singing "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider" right now, I bet you'd have a hard time keeping your hands still. That's because most of us who know the song learned it with gestures, and things we learn with physical movement tend to stick.

We can apply that same principle to classroom learning, using movement to enhance learning from preschool all the way through college. Let's take a look at what the research says about movement-based learning, then explore six different ways you can add more movement to your instruction.

The Research on Movement

The concept of "learning styles" has overwhelmingly been labeled a myth by researchers, so attempting to determine which of your students are kinesthetic learners will not be a good use of your time. What is worth your time is using movement when working with all learners, because plenty of research backs that up.

In general, people learn better when information is presented in more than one way (Sankey, Birch, & Gardiner, 2010). In other words, if we take in information through more than one sense, we're more likely to encode it in long-term memory. This would include visual, verbal, and kinesthetic modes of learning.

Specifically, the use of gestures results in more enduring learning than learning without gestures (Cook, Yip, & Goldin-Meadow, S, 2010). So even the addition of a few small hand gestures can have an impact on how well students remember material.

Study after study shows that physical activity activates the brain, improves cognitive function, and is correlated with improved academic performance (Donnelly & Lambourne, 2011). This means any kind of physical activity, not just movement associated with the material we're learning, can benefit students academically.

Six Ways to Add Movement to Instruction

1. Total Physical Response

Developed for use with second-language learners in the 1960's ( Asher, 1966), Total Physical Response simply has students act out physical gestures to represent vocabulary words. Shown to be highly effective with both children (Singh, 2011) and adults ( Carruthers, 2010), TPR can also be used to help learners remember new vocabulary terms in their native language. In other words, it can be used in any content area, with any student.

This video from the Teacher Toolkit shows Texas teacher Michael Rowland using TPR with his third grade students, who are English learners.

And here is Craig Gaslow, another Texas teacher who teaches AP Human Geography, demonstrating how he uses TPR to teach three different models of diffusion:

https://youtu.be/9HtrVh2Dzzs

Finally, here are Scott Causer's high school students demonstrating a few earth science processes using TPR:

What strategies support learning? Here's high school science using TPR to recall processes in Earth Science -thanks Mr. Causer and team for modeling! @ESMSchoolDist @cultofpedagogy pic.twitter.com/njoAaVdBB9
- Naomi Trivison (@NaomiTrivison) March 30, 2019

2. Tableau/Snapshot

In this strategy, students create a physical "snapshot" with their bodies, a still picture that represents an idea.

This example, demonstrated by 4th grade teacher Stefannie Cundiff, comes from Teacher Toolkit:

Another example is explained in this Slides presentation by Tyler Jacobs, an Idaho-based high school ELA and social studies teacher. Click the image below to view the slideshow in a new window:

3. Simulations

In these, students demonstrate a concept with some kind of motion or interactivity. They could represent non-human components, like in the examples below, or they might actually take on the role of humans in a re-enactment of an event.

The first example comes from the University of British Columbia, where electrical engineering professor Matthew Yedlin has students simulate the difference between linear growth and exponential growth:

The second example, a simulation of the circulatory system, comes from Michelle Cliche, who teaches grades 4 and 5 in London, Ontario, Canada.

Ss learned about the complexity of the circulatory system by acting out delivery of blood through red & blue bean bags. S in middle is ❤️ directing blood flow to different organs. Later, we did this on playground climbers because heart has to pump 'up'. pic.twitter.com/dhzTqRTEOp
- Michelle Cliche (@Clicheteach) March 29, 2019

Finally, here's a different kind of simulation demonstrated by Amy Tepperman, where participants show fractions by placing different body parts on the floor, Twister-style:

An important note about simulations: If you are doing simulations about historical periods or events, proceed with caution. Many, many teachers have ended up traumatizing students with these types of simulations. This article from Learning for Justice explores the topic in depth.

4. Songs with Movement

Songs are another powerful way to teach concepts to students, and if the songs also incorporate movement, even better.

Dan Adler, a 6th grade science teacher in Lawrence, MA, regularly uses songs with physical movements to help his students remember challenging concepts. In this video, students demonstrate "Bodak Particles," a song about phase change sung to an instrumental version of Cardi B's song "Bodak Yellow." (Get a copy of the lyrics here.)

Check out our science scholars rapping about phase changes! pic.twitter.com/uO3sJQubgw
- UP Academy Leonard (@up_leonard) November 8, 2018

5. Virtual and Augmented Reality

The experiences offered by virtual and augmented reality allow students to move around in and interact with virtual objects and spaces in ways that would be difficult if not impossible to pull off in the real world.

Augmented Reality layers digital enhancements on top of objects in the real, physical world. Using a device, like a smartphone, loaded with AR software, users point it at a picture or physical object, and the software brings up some kind of digital element like a 3D animation, text, or a video. ( Pokémon Go is an example of an AR game.)

One set of AR tools that have tremendous learning potential comes from a company called Merge. Their Merge Cube is a handheld cube that can "become" a variety of objects when paired with the Merge Goggles, as shown below:

Virtual Reality immerses the user in a 360-degree environment, a computer-generated simulation, viewable through a VR headset, and allows them to move through and interact with that environment.

One outstanding source for VR experiences is Google Expeditions, which offers tours to over 500 different locations: historical landmarks, national and state parks, underwater sites, and up-close studies of scientific phenomena.

And if you don't find the exact tour you want, you and your students can even create your own expeditions with Google Tour Creator.

6. Brain Breaks

I left this one for the end because it's the easiest to implement. This brain breaks guide from the University of Texas summarizes the research on the connection between movement and academic achievement and offers dozens of ideas for brain breaks that can be put into action immediately.

Brain break videos are super easy to find on YouTube, especially for younger kids. My daughter came home from first grade years ago excited to demonstrate this one for me:

But what about older kids? High school math teacher David Sladkey has written a a book, Energizing Brain Breaks ( Amazon | Bookshop.org), that has ideas for all ages, even middle and high school kids who may not be as comfortable with the Tooty Ta. in this video, students demonstrate a simple toe-tapping brain break:

Tips for Getting Started

Don't overdo it. Attempting to add a movement component to every concept students learn would not only be too time-consuming, it could also get old, shifting from a fun novelty to something that causes students to slump over in their seats and say, Not THAT again!!

Get input from students. When coming up with gestures or movements, you don't have to rely solely on your own brain. Ask students to help you come up with ideas. Involving students in the process will help them remember concepts better and will increase the likelihood that you'll end up with really effective movements.

Know what works for your students. Some of your students may not be comfortable with or physically able to do certain movements, so keep that in mind and make modifications based on ability and need.

Use movement for retrieval practice. Rather than using movement in a single lesson, apply the principles of retrieval practice by repeating the movements in short practice sessions, spacing them out over time, and interleaving concepts with one another.

For younger students, meaningful gestures matter more. While adults learn from both iconic gestures (those that have some meaning in relation to the concept they are connected to) and beat gestures (those that have no inherent meaning but are just tied to particular "beats" in a sentence or phrase), younger children learned more from iconic gestures (So, Sim Chen-Hui, & Low Wei-Shan, 2012). So when working with younger students, try to make the gestures match the concepts in some way.

References

Asher, J. J. (1969). The total physical response approach to second language learning. The modern language journal, 53(1), 3-17.

Carruthers, S. W. (2010). The total physical response method and its compatibility to adult ESL-learners. Retrieved from http://tesolteachers.net/t.pdf

Cook, S. W., Yip, T. K., & Goldin-Meadow, S. (2010). Gesturing makes memories that last. Journal of memory and language, 63(4), 465-475.

Donnelly, J. E., & Lambourne, K. (2011). Classroom-based physical activity, cognition, and academic achievement. Preventive medicine, 52, S36-S42.

Sankey, M., Birch, D., & Gardiner, M. (2010). Engaging students through multimodal learning environments: The journey continues. In Proceedings ASCILITE 2010: 27th annual conference of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education: Curriculum, technology and transformation for an unknown future (pp. 852-863). University of Queensland.

Singh, J. P. (2011). Effectiveness of total physical response. Academic Voices: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 1, 20-22.

So, W. C., Sim Chen-Hui, C., & Low Wei-Shan, J. (2012). Mnemonic effect of iconic gesture and beat gesture in adults and children: Is meaning in gesture important for memory recall?. Language and Cognitive Processes, 27(5), 665-681.

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Physical movement makes learning stick better, and today we're exploring six ways you can add more movement to your classroom.