ABSTRACT
Students need movement. Research has indicated that the attention span of a two-year-old child is 5 minutes and approximately 20 minutes for elementary age children (Moyer & von Haller Gilmer, 1954). Lessons that incorporate movement or exercise are crucial to keeping students energized for learning. Adding movement to instruction does not necessarily mean reciting math facts while doing jumping jacks. Making a “game” of answering questions with simple movement seamlessly fits into instruction. For example: Teacher
“Listen to the following possible causes for the American Civil War. When you hear a true cause for the war, please stand. If you hear a statement that is not a cause, remain seated. When I do this [teacher makes sitting motion with arms], sit back down. I will say these statements once only, so listen carefully.”
“Everyone please stand. We are going to review the colors of the rainbow. When I say a color that is in the rainbow, please touch your toes. If I say a color that is not part of the rainbow, raise your hands over your head.”
In addition to providing the healthy benefit of exercise, movement-incorporated instruction engages students, reviews critical information, and assesses student knowledge. From your teacher vantage point, you can observe which students respond immediately and which ones look to see what others are doing.