"Children naturally move. They react to and explore the world in physical ways. No one has to teach them to jump for joy, to roll down a grassy hill, or to pound their bodies on the floor during a tantrum. When they arrive in elementary school they are fluent in this nonverbal, physical language. However, rather than using this natural resourse by channeling it into constructive learning experiences, teachers often expend energy subduing children's physicality." (Griss, S. (1998). Minds in Motion. NH:Heinemann.)
Kids love to move. It's as simple as that. As Susan Griss (1998) has stated, it is vitally important that teachers and parents find ways to use this natural love of movement in productive and exciting ways. As an educator I am forever seeking ways to make learning rich and fun for my students. As a blogger, I am creating a place where I will describe various reasons why using movement in the classroom is of the most importance. I hope to include quotes, websites, and pictures to emphasize the need for a kinesthetic approach to teaching. I strongly encourage any readers to post any information they feel would be helpful to this cause.
Each of the following posts will cover one of the multiple reasons why movement based learning is an important way to engage students and to promote critical literacy and higher level thinking.
As for now, I will leave you with two links, resources for an overview and ideas on how to implement movement in the classroom.
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