Movement Matters: The Importance of Incorporating Movement in the Classroom

Northwestern College, Iowa Northwestern College, Iowa

NWCommons NWCommons

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects Education

Spring 2020

Movement Matters: The Importance of Incorporating Movement Movement Matters: The Importance of Incorporating Movement

in the Classroom in the Classroom

Dana Kleinjan

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Part of the Early Childhood Education Commons

Running head: INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 1

Movement Matters: The Importance of Incorporating Movement in the Classroom

Dana Kleinjan

Northwestern College

A Literature Review Presented

in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

For the Degree of Master of Education

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM  2 
 
Table of Contents 
Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... 3 
Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 4 
Review of the Literature .................................................................................................................. 6 
Theoretical Frameworks .............................................................................................................. 6 
Brain Research ............................................................................................................................ 7 
Lifestyle Changes ...................................................................................................................... 10 
Legislature ................................................................................................................................. 11 
Movement Throughout the Day ................................................................................................ 13 
Effects of Inactivity ................................................................................................................... 15 
Benefits of Movement ............................................................................................................... 15 
Incorporating Movement into Schools ...................................................................................... 16 
Early Childhood Benefits .......................................................................................................... 21 
Opposing Viewpoints and Conflicts ......................................................................................... 23 
Impact on Students, Teachers and Schools ............................................................................... 24 
Areas of Future Research .......................................................................................................... 25 
Flexible Seating ..................................................................................................................... 25 
Movement During Instruction ............................................................................................... 25 
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 27 
References ..................................................................................................................................... 30 
 
 
   

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 3

Abstract

This literature review looks at what movement is and how it can improve student learning.

Journal articles written in the last ten years were evaluated to find common themes that support

incorporating movement throughout the school day including at recess, during physical

education, and in the classroom. Brain research shows that moving while learning is beneficial.

Movement ignites areas of the brain as well as improves neuron connections, helps to develop

different areas of the brain, and offers a variety of mental health benefits such as lowered anxiety

and depression. In addition, movement helps to prevent long term diseases such as diabetes,

stroke, and heart issues. It also looks at different means to integrate movement throughout the

day. These include recess time, brain breaks, mindfulness and more. Movement is an important

part of early childhood and the benefits of incorporating it at any early age are explored. From

there, it offers ideas for future research and areas that have yet to be discovered in terms of

incorporating movement into the classroom.

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 4

Movement Matters: The Importance of Incorporating Movement in the Classroom

A classroom is a place where children spend nearly one third of their day. The majority

of this time students are listening, working, and writing. This also means they spend the majority

of their time sitting (Savina et al., 2016). According to Savina et al. (2016), children spend six to

eight hours a day sitting, and forty-three minutes of every hour is spent in sedentary activities

like sitting and listening. Sitting for long periods of time can cause students to have difficulty

focusing and become inattentive. It also has negative health effects, with studies showing that

after sitting for twenty to thirty minutes, eighty percent of the blood in the body pools in the hips

(Stevens-Smith, 2016a). It is harder for new learning to occur without fresh oxygen in the blood

(Stevens-Smith, 2016a).

Research has shown that when a child’s body is involved in movement, the brain is in a

higher state of arousal (Stevens-Smith, 2016a). According to Stevens-Smith (2016a), children

learn best when moving because it stimulates the neurons and electrical wiring in the brain. The

part of the brain that processes movements and actions is the same part of the brain that is

responsible for and processes learning (Stevens-Smith, 2016a). Because of this, when movement

and cognitive development is combined, it increases the number of neurons being used, and over

time, will allow them to become more efficient (Stevens-Smith, 2016b).

Research has been conducted about how active engagement can improve learning in a

variety of areas. Active engagement is a combination of knowledge, cognitive strategies, social

interactions, motivation, movement, and conceptual knowledge (Stevens-Smith, 2016a;

Chandler, 2015). Because of how the brain is wired and functions when movement is

introduced, there are links between movement and improved cognition (Furmanek, 2014).

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 5

There are many ways to help increase movement in the classroom and throughout a

child’s day. These are things such as recess, mindfulness, learning through movement and

flexible seating. Giving students opportunities for structured and unstructured physical activity

breaks during the day can help improve academic achievement as well as prevent chronic

diseases (Perera, Frei, Frei, & Bobe, 2015).

Further research needs to be conducted to find out what types of movements and how

often movement can be incorporated in the classroom. Topics that can be studied and further

developed are ideas of movement while working independently. While brain breaks, recess, and

mindfulness have already been explored, there are more ideas yet to be discovered. Options like

flexible seating are very popular and a current trend in education, and further studies into their

use in the classroom may suggest whether it is beneficial or not. Along with that, it can explore

the benefits of different seating options like wobble stools, seat discs, typical chairs and more.

Research can also look at how a teacher or school can give students the movement that their

body seeks, giving them the ability to focus, learn, and grow (Stevens-Smith, 2016a).

While there have been studies (Shoval, Sharir, Arnon, & Tenenbaum, 2018; Chandler &

Tricot, 2015; Stevens-Smith, 2016) conducted that support the idea that including movement into

active learning can enhance a child’s ability to retain information, there is a trend that is

sweeping education that needs further research. With the current push for required minutes in

certain subjects and the common core pushing standards, movement options have been reduced.

Flexible seating is a new concept in the education world that is popping up in schools across the

United States. Flexible seating promotes movement while children work, throwing away the

traditional seat. Further research needs to be conducted to determine if flexible seating is an

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 6

appropriate way to incorporate movement in the classroom. Further research needs to be

conducted to determine if things like brain breaks are of benefit as well.

Review of the Literature

In order to understand why movement matters in the classroom, movement must first be

defined. Movement can also be considered as, or called, physical activity or active engagement.

Active engagement is a combination of knowledge, cognitive strategies, social interactions,

motivation, movement, and conceptual knowledge (Stevens-Smith, 2016a; Chandler, 2015). The

cognitive, emotional and physical pieces of active engagement help children retain what they

have learned as well as process what they are learning (Steven-Smith, 2016b). According to

Shoval, Shirir, Arnon, & Tenenbaum (2018), incorporating movement into the learning process

activates kinesthetic perception and allows learning to take place. Activities that incorporate

movement can appeal to young students in a variety of ways both in and out of the classroom,

including outdoor games, aerobics, coordination exercises and team sports (Savina, Garrity,

Kenny, & Doerr, 2016). Along with this, team sports have major pieces including social and

strategic planning that can improve executive functions (Savina et. al., 2016).

Theoretical Frameworks

John Dewey’s theories have been instrumental in the mindset of learning through doing

(Leshkovska & Spaseva, 2016). This theory lends itself to the idea of children learning through

movement. His theory promoted a child-centered way of doing things, which was based on key

ideas. One of these ideas is that activity is an essential piece of a child’s nature, which can be

shown through instincts, experience, individuality and interests (Leshkovska & Spaseva, 2016).

Approximately eighty years after John Dewey came out with his theory, Howard Gardner

developed his theory of multiple intelligences. This theory suggests that learners have seven

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 7

different types of learning styles, as opposed to the previously thought of idea that intelligence is

one entity (Leshkovska & Spaseva, 2016). Gardner would later add one more, bringing eight

total intelligences: interpersonal, intrapersonal, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, spatial, logical-

mathematical, linguistic, and naturalist (Leshkovska & Spaseva, 2016). This theory eventually

led to educators questioning their teaching style, causing a change in the way educators approach

things like curriculum, pedagogy, assessments and learning differences (Leshkovska & Spaseva,

2016).

Brian Sutton-Smith was a theorist that believed children have the ability to develop a

large network of neurons that will go away if they are not used (Stevens-Smith, 2016b). He also

believed that these neurons create the foundation that help children develop language, pursue

creativity, and help to create problem solving skills (Stevens-Smith, 2016b). All of these things

were also important in the idea of incorporating movement into learning.

Brain Research

Movement in the classroom is important for many reasons, and there is a lot of research

to back up the benefits of physical engagement, especially in early childhood (Stevens-Smith,

2016a). Exercise can have many positive effects on a growing brain, and results from brain scans

shows that a child does their best learning when they are moving around and active (Steven-

Smith, 2016b; Chandler & Tricot, 2014). Moving the body can have a very positive effect on a

child’s learning and their ability to achieve academically (Chandler & Tricot, 2014).

Research has shown that when a child’s body is involved in movement, the brain is in a

higher state of arousal (Stevens-Smith, 2016a). Regular exercise and movement causes

physiological changes that help with memory and release neurotrophins that help with processes

in the brain (Chandler & Tricot, 2014; Archer & Siraj, 2015) Research conducted on animals has

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 8

shown that movement and exercise improves cognitive function, improves memory and helps

with learning, as well stimulates neural development and produces more capillaries (Archer &

Siraj, 2015; Abadie & Brown, 2010). Many practitioners think that the relationship between

specific movement patterns and developing neurons influence later academic achievement

(Archer & Siraj, 2015).

The cerebellum acts like a switchboard for all of the brains thinking; it can play into how

learning and development happen in a number of ways (Stevens-Smith, 2016b). In addition,

there are links that connect decision making, emotions, attention, memory and the cerebellum

(Stevens-Smith, 2016b). When a child takes in stimuli or experiences around them, they are

changed into electrical or chemical impulses that move to the thalamus, which is the organ in the

center of the brain (Rushton, 2011). From there, the thalamus sends the stimuli to one of four

lobes in the brain (the occipital, the temporal, the parietal and the pre-frontal) or the motor cortex

for more processing (Rushton, 2011). The part of the brain that processes movement is the same

part that processes things like learning (Steven-Smith, 2016b; Stevens-Smith, 2016a). In fact,

according to Steven-Smith (2016b), the part of the brain that lights up when a child moves is the

same part of the brain that lights up when they read or work on math. Sensorimotor processes

and cognitive processes are very intertwined (Chandler & Tricot, 2014). Movement awakens the

neurons and electrical wiring helps with a child’s ability to receive new learning (Stevens-Smith,

2016a).

When cognitive development is put together with physical activity or engagement,

neurons in a child’s brain grow and begin to attach to other neurons, which allows those neurons

to become quicker at sending messages to each other (Steven-Smith, 2016b; Stevens-Smith,

2016a). When a student is learning, neurons are growing and connections are improving, as well

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 9

as when physical activity is taking place (Steven-Smith, 2016b; Stevens-Smith, 2016a). Aerobic

exercise improves the brains ability to activate, making working memory and processing speed

more efficient (Savina et al., 2016).

The brain also needs fresh oxygen in the blood along with water to function well (Steven-

Smith, 2016b). The brain takes the most oxygen out of any other organ in the body, and it is

essential for learning (Steven-Smith, 2016b). Learning becomes more difficult without blood that

has fresh oxygen, as eighty percent of the blood pools in the hips after a half an hour (Stevens-

Smith, 2016a).

Knowing that brain function and movement work closely together (Steven-Smith, 2016b;

Stevens-Smith, 2016a; Chandler & Tricot, 2014; Archer & Siraj, 2015), movement can be

instrumental in a child’s learning. A child’s development is holistic (Furmanek, 2014). They

need to actively participate in their learning and use all the senses or as many senses as possible

to help them understand their world (Pica, 2010). There are links to physical activity and

movement leading to better cognition, including a positive effect on learning (Furmanek, 2014).

Children who have an active lifestyle have more gray matter volume in the hippocampus and

basal ganglia, and more white matter integrity, as well as more effective patterns in brain activity

(Chandler & Tricot, 2014). Movement is also a good way to improve a child’s mental

functioning, which is important to their cognitive development (Chandler & Tricot, 2014).

When a child is physically moving, their brains are creating neurological foundations that

help with creativity, problem solving and language development (Stevens-Smith, 2016a).

Children who complete repetitive movement patterns stimulate or activate their certain areas of

their brain (Archer & Siraj, 2015). Incorporating physical engagement can increase connections

made during learning (Steven-Smith, 2016b). Recent findings have suggested that there may be

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 10

a positive correlation between memory and movement (Kirk, Vizcarra, Looney, & Kirk, 2014;

Savina, Garrity, Kenny, & Doerr, 2016; Shoval et al., 2018). Chronic aerobic exercise

encourages cerebral blood volume in the hippocampus, which allows for memory and learning

(Savina et al., 2016). Implicit learning creates more meaning for a child and opens up the

opportunity for neural networks to be created as well as invites more of the child’s senses to be

used (Pica, 2010).

Lifestyle Changes

In addition to the brain research, there are reasons to make movement a priority in early

childhood classrooms. Over the last ten years, a lot has changed. The world has turned to

machines to get things done, which while improving the quality and standard of living, has also

created a large problem: sedentariness (Abadie & Brown, 2010). The United States of America

has utilized technology to help make life easier, and it has also increased the standard of living in

the U.S., causing more and more Americans to live a sedentary lifestyle (Abadie & Brown, 2010,

Savina et al., 2016). The lifestyle of a sedentary person can lead to diseases such as diabetes,

stroke, lung disease, cancer, and cardiovascular disease (Abadie & Brown, 2010).

Even in early childhood, children spend around forty three out of sixty minutes sitting or

completing some type of sedentary activity (Savina et al., 2016). In education the amount of a

time that children are asked to sit in a desk or table spot and focus on a task is quite cumbersome

(Wiebelhaus & Hanson, 2016). Students sit for around six to eight hours a day (Savina et al.,

2016). A program that encourages physical activity in the classroom could help with the growing

problem of childhood obesity in the United States as well as any and all diseases that go with

childhood obesity (Abadie & Brown, 2010).

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 11

In general, most people around the world recognize the benefits that movement can have

for both their mental health and their physical health, but even so, most people are becoming less

active (Stevens-Smith, 2016b). Even though there is an inherited genome to support chronically

active lifestyles, the average American is becoming less and less active (Savina et al., 2016).

Consistent physical activity can lessen the risk of acquiring diseases like cancer and obesity

(Robinson & Wadsworth, 2010).

A recent study also discovered that children who had less screen-time and higher levels

of physical activity had fewer symptoms of depression (Savina et al., 2016). Children are

exposed to an abundance of stimulation with things like video games and computers (Rushton,

2011). There has also been a reported rise to the number of children who are diagnosed with

ADHD, increasing from 2003 to 2011 (Wiebelhaus & Hanson, 2016). This means that more

children in schools are experiencing things like impulsive behavior, difficulty staying on task,

and being overly active (Wiebelhaus & Hanson, 2016).

Learning can be made better by incorporating movement because it lowers anxiety,

stress, and depression as well as boosts up a child’s self-esteem (Savina et al., 2016). The United

States consumes more ADHD medicine than any other country in the world and prescriptions for

anti-depressants are on the rise (Martin, Farrel, Gray, & Clark, 2018). A recent study linked

obesity in children to the amount of time of unstructured and structured activities in American

schools (Perera et al., 2015). Children in early childhood spend around eighty percent of their

day sitting or being stationary even when they were given the chance to participate in outdoor

and indoor movement opportunities (Robinson & Wadsworth, 2010).

Legislature

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 12

Most schools have not responded to or acted on the brain research that supports using

movement in classrooms to help with cognitive improvements (Stevens-Smith, 2016a). A large

factor to this has to do with legislature (Savina et al., 2016; Perera et al., 2015; Martin et al.,

2018; Abadie & Brown, 2010). In 2001, the United States Congress passed a program called No

Child Left Behind, or NCLB (Wiebelhaus & Hanson, 2016). This required states to create new

standardized tests for students as well as mandated that all teachers be or become highly

qualified (Wiebelhaus & Hanson, 2016). In order for states to get the funding needed for

education, all students had to take these tests at certain grade levels (Wiebelhaus & Hanson,

2016). Since No Child Left Behind was put into law, there has been great pressure put on schools

to make sure their students performed at or above grade level (Martin et al., 2018, Abadie &

Brown, 2010). Administrators increased the amount of instructional time required in response to

NCLB so that all curriculum could be taught as well as improve student scores, which caused a

shift in the amount of time students spent at recess and in physical education classes (Martin et

al., 2018).

In order to help relieve the stress and expectations, many schools chose to eliminate or

minimize recess time in order to increase instructional time (Martin et al., 2018). According to

Savina et al. (2016), and Perera et al. (2015), this greatly reduced the amount of recess time for

students. Since 2001, when No Child Left Behind was enacted, physical education and recess

time has been decreased in elementary schools by almost half (Savina et al., 2016). Only around

four percent of students in elementary schools, around eight percent of students in middle

schools, and around two percent of students in high schools get physical education for the whole

school year (Savina et al., 2016).

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Those who do receive physical education in their school have seen a reduced number of

minutes per week. From 2001 to 2007, the length of physical education classes in elementary

schools went from 145 minutes a week to only 105 minutes a week (Perera et al., 2015). Recess

time was also decreased during this period going from an average of 183 minutes a week in 2001

to 133 minutes per week in 2007 (Perera et al., 2015). Currently, there is no nationwide mandate

for the number of minutes a student must spend at recess in the United States or in physical

education classes, nor do they require breaks for physical activity (Perera et al., 2015). However,

some states such as Oregon, have passed legislation in regard to movement (Perera et al., 2015).

This legislation requires that students spend at least thirty minutes a day in a physical education

class in elementary school, which is now fully implemented (Perera et al., 2015). Only three

states, including Oregon, have a mandate on physical activity in the classroom (Perera et al.,

2015). The amount of time students spend at recess is currently a school by school decision, with

state or districts requiring a minimum number of minutes that students get each day (Martin et

al., 2018).

Movement Throughout the Day

According to Rushton, there are four basic brain principles that allow for the

understanding of how to teach young children (Rushton, 2011). They are as follows: every brain

is uniquely organized, the brain is continually growing and adapting to the environment around

it, a classroom must be brain-compatible to make learning a positive emotion, and brains need to

be put into real and meaningful experiences (Rushton, 2011). If teachers are aware of how the

brain works and functions, they will be able to incorporate movement into their day better.

Research suggests that preschoolers should be getting around one hundred twenty

minutes of physical activity each day, with sixty of those minutes coming from structured

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 14

physical activity and the other sixty coming from unstructured free-play time (Robinson &

Wadsworth, 2010; Savina et al., 2016; Kirk et al., 2014). The Active Start guidelines suggests

that children ages three to five should be receiving at least sixty minutes of daily physical

activity that is structured as well as participating in at least sixty minutes and up to several hours

of unstructured physical activity and also to become proficient in movement skills (Wadsworth,

Robinson, Beckham, & Webster, 2012). However, these early childhood students are getting less

than the sixty minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity required (Kirk et al., 2014;

Savina et al., 2016; Robinson & Wadsworth, 2010).

In today’s society with technology and convenience at a forefront, children have been

pushed into a less active, more sedentary lifestyle with many opportunities to be still during the

day (Stevens-Smith, 2016b). Students are only getting about half of the recommended physical

activity they need each day (Robinson & Wadsworth, 2010). Specifically, only approximately

four percent of schools require physical education classes in early childhood (Abadie & Brown,

2010). In fact, the National Wildlife Federation has reported that the average child is consuming

around seven hours of screen time a day, while only getting approximately thirty minutes of

unstructured outdoor play a day (Martin et al., 2018).

For students who are between the ages of six to seventeen years old, it is recommended

that they receive sixty minutes or more of physical activity a day (Wiebelhaus & Hanson, 2016).

A survey conducted in 2011 suggests that more than two thirds of American students do not meet

the aerobic activity on a daily basis (Savina et al., 2016). The American Academy of Pediatrics

says that recess should not be eliminated and that it is essential for a child’s development

(Wiebelhaus & Hanson, 2016). In addition, young children who completed fitness activities

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 15

more frequently performed better on memory tasks and had more hippocampal volume compared

to young children who did not complete as many fitness activities (Savina et al., 2016).

Effects of Inactivity

The inactivity that is being seen as early as preschool can have a big effect on children in

elementary as well as their adult life (Abadie & Brown, 2010). The more active a child is when

they are young, the more active their brains become and the more physical activity helps to

develop the brain (Stevens-Smith, 2016a; Savina et al., 2016). A student who is physically active

attains a higher level of academic achievement than those students who are inactive (Abadie &

Brown, 2010). Students who are a part of a program that promotes physical activity are less

likely to have health complications resulting from diseases (Abadie & Brown, 2010). The

intensity of a physically active child and how they perform academically has been considered

positive, including a relationship between movement, concentration, attention, spatial perception

and memory (Shoval et al., 2018).

Benefits of Movement

Physical activity and movement have also been linked with a range of psychosocial

benefits including lowered anxiety levels, and higher self-esteem (Robinson & Wadsworth,

2010, Abadie & Brown, 2010). Studies have also found that incorporating physical activity has

an effect on a child’s mental health, although it is small (Savina et al., 2016). Young children

that participated in more physical activity and had less leisure screen time had lower levels of

depressive studies (Savina et al., 2016). In addition, early childhood students learn how to

demonstrate solutions to problems with movement (Steven-Smith, 2016b). They also begin to lay

the foundation for self-regulation (Williams, 2018). Movement also helps children learn

boundaries (Furmanek, 2014). If physical activity is implemented in the classroom, it can also

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 16

help with the growing problem of childhood obesity and other diseases that coincide with it

(Abadie & Brown, 2010).

If the foundation for incorporating physical activity into learning are set at an early age,

such as pre-school, then children can enter their early elementary years with a toolbox filled with

ways to cope with the high demands placed on them today which include hand-eye coordination,

eye control, and sitting to concentrate (Archer & Siraj, 2015). Movement has had a positive

effect on memory, concentration, and behavior (Steven-Smith, 2016b). Students who have a high

level of aerobic activities have better reading scores in comparison to students who are less fit

(Furmanek, 2014). Whenever a student moves in an organized way, the brain is fully activated

and begins to integrate information, opening the door to learning (Stevens-Smith, 2016a).

When physical activity and movement opportunities are provided to students, they

develop not only the physical piece of their body, but also the cognitive piece (Steven-Smith,

2016b; Stevens-Smith, 2016a). Linking movement to teaching helps to establish a body and

mind connection that allows students to improve their learning (Furmanek, 2014). Children’s

brains need movement or physical activity breaks to help them process new learning after direct

and intense instruction (Perera et al., 2015). However, there has been little research conducted in

regard to incorporating physical activity or physical activity breaks into the classroom

(Wiebelhaus & Hanson, 2016).

Incorporating Movement into Schools

There are many ways to include movement into a child’s day, starting with recess. When

thinking about movement, research has been conducted in mainly two areas that include recess

as well as physical education (Martin et al., 2018). According to the Center of Disease Control,

recess is a set time during the school day that lets students engage in unstructured physical

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 17

activity and play (Wiebelhaus & Hanson, 2016). Recess is important because it helps a child

develop their cognitive and social skills (Martin et al., 2018).

During recess, children are encouraged to build relationships, develop teamwork skills,

interact with their peers, as well as live out what they are learning (Wiebelhaus & Hanson, 2016;

Martin et al., 2018; Philips et al., 2015). Recess is also a time when students work at building

social skills, especially for young students (Martin et al., 2018). In addition, unrestricted free

play outdoors helps the child have an easier time focusing and perform better in the classroom

(Martin et al., 2018).

After students have had recess, teachers reported that the students appeared calmer, more

at ease, and had an easier time remaining in their seats (Martin et al., 2018). The students are also

able to attend to tasks with greater ease and efficiently attend to cognitive tasks (Wiebelhaus &

Hanson, 2016). According to Wiebelhaus & Hanson (2016), on days when students did not

receive recess, the average of students who exhibited inappropriate behavior was more than two

thirds, while on days with recess, inappropriate behavior was only exhibited by around one third

of students (Wiebelhaus & Hanson, 2016). Students who have had unrestricted play outside aids

with children’s eyesight as well as their classroom performance (Martin et al., 2018).

Physical activity based in the classroom helps to integrate movement into the day (Martin

et al., 2018). Movement includes using quick brain breaks or active lessons that help to mix

physical activity with lesson delivery (Martin et al., 2018). Using activities that incorporate

movement into the academic subject area being taught, even for as little as five to ten minutes,

allows children to move in their seats (Savina et al., 2016). These breaks should require little to

no set up making them quick and easy to do in a classroom (Wadsworth et al., 2012). They

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 18

should also include a quick review of rules and expectations, especially in the early childhood

setting (Wadsworth et al., 2012).

Implementation of an energizer program, or a program that helps encourage movement

while in the classroom, made for a considerable increase in the number of steps that children

took throughout the day (Philips, Meister, Johns, Bears, & Hamm, 2016). Not only that, Philips

et al., (2016) stated that it did not interfere with the teacher’s ability to use instruction time, and

that more classrooms could introduce these breaks into their daily routine. Other programs have

been designed and tried in the classroom like Boost Up and S.M.A.R.T. These programs are

designed with certain movements that help stimulate the brain in areas such as vestibular motion

and mobility skills (Wiebelhaus & Hanson, 2016).

Another way to incorporate movement into a child’s day as well as into their classroom is

through mindful movements. Mindful movement can help with cognitive function as well as

improve learning, which has led to recommendations that it be implemented into kindergarten

classrooms (Shoval, Sharir, Amon, & Tenebaum, 2018). Using mindful movement as a scaffold,

students are able to work independently and solve problems, as well as allow students to interact

with each other to show new learning, both visually and kinesthetically (Shoval et al., 2018).

Students who were exposed to mindful movements reached a higher level of academic

achievement in comparison to students who engaged in other physical activities (Shoval et al.,

2018). Shoval et al. (2018), found that mindful movement can impact learning in a positive way

as well as encourage brain performance, even recommending that it be put into action in

kindergarten classrooms.

Physical activity breaks in the classroom have also been utilized to help increase

movement within a child’s day. In order for students to stay or sit completely still, it is dependent

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 19

on the motor skill level they are at (Wiebelhaus & Hanson, 2016). The ability to stay completely

still is a very advanced motor skill (Wiebelhaus & Hanson, 2016). With that being said, physical

activity breaks can improve a child’s behavior because it promotes better concentration scores,

less fidgeting, and on-task behavior (Kirk et al., 2014). Improvements in attention-to-task have

resulted when intermittent physical activity breaks have been utilized in elementary schools

(Kirk et al., 2014). Giving students opportunities for structured and unstructured physical activity

breaks during the day can help improve academic achievement as well as prevent chronic

diseases (Perera, Frei, Frei, & Bobe, 2015).

According to Wiebelhaus & Hanson (2016), students are facing extended academic

instructional time, which offers challenges to students, especially students who may have

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. In order for students to spend more time

engaged throughout instruction, periods of movement are necessary (Wiebelhaus & Hanson,

2016). One to two-minute activities that allow students to cross the midline allow fresh blood

with oxygen to travel to the brain, improving learning in all four lobes of the brain (Stevens-

Smith, 2016a). They also give energy to both sides of the brain and can easily be incorporated

into whatever type of learning that is occurring (Stevens-Smith, 2016a). In addition, classroom

based physical activity breaks can produce educational benefits which include increased time on

task, better attention, and an improved classroom climate (Martin et al., 2018).

Brain breaks or brain gyms is another term for physical activity breaks in the classroom.

They have also led to improvements in some areas, including a decline in the number of nurses’

visits, a decrease in ADHD and asthma medicine, and excess weight gain (Philips, Meister,

Johns, Bears, & Hamm, 2016). According to Philips et.al (2016), more classrooms should

consider implementing exercise breaks into their day, as these breaks did not interfere with the

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 20

amount of classroom instruction time students received. Brain breaks or brain gyms also help

improve coordination and learning (Stevens-Smith, 2016a). According to Wadsworth et al.

(2012), the best time to utilize a classroom brain break or physical activity is during transitional

time, like in between two activities or from a large group activity to a small group activity.

Teachers who implemented some form of a classroom based physical activity, on

average, took about a total of five minutes each day (Martin et al., 2018). However, allocating

ten minutes each day is considered best practice (Martin et al., 2018). A theme that showed up in

the research when looking at teachers implementing physical activity breaks, was a need to get or

have reassurance from an administrator that it is okay to take instructional time to complete these

activities (Martin et al., 2018). This could be a reason as to why there has not been more

implementation in school systems. There are other countries in the world who have already

implemented these kind of breaks for ten to twenty minutes for every forty to fifty minutes of

instruction time, and they have higher scholastic scores than the United States (Perera et al.,

2015). In addition to the higher scores, the schools that participated in frequent brain breaks also

reported that students made fewer trips to the nurse’s office and a need for less ADHD medicine

to be consumed by students (Perera et al., 2015).

Another way to implement physical activity into the classroom is incorporating it through

teaching, such as using hand motions, gestures, etc. Using gestures while learning in many areas

including math has had positive effects (Chandler & Tricot, 2015). It can be assumed that doing

an action or gesture in response to hearing or seeing new information can give the student’s

memory additional tools to retrieve that information later (Chandler & Tricot, 2015). According

to Savina et al. (2016), using hand movements while learning leads to a higher retention rate of

what is being taught. Savina et al. (2016) also suggests that when movement is included to help

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 21

process information, it may actually reduce the cognitive load by off-loading the working

memory signs to the sensory-motor system.

Chandler & Tricot (2015) said that using body movement and hand gestures can be

extremely beneficial when compared to studying or listening to direct instruction in the area of

basic math. Chandler & Tricot (2015) also looked at the type of movement incorporated in the

classroom and found that physical exercise had a greater effect when incorporated in the

classroom, specifically when it worked with whatever skill was being taught. There was also

confirmed reports of a positive result when incorporating language with gestures (Chandler

&Tricot, 2015).

With any strategy or method implemented into the classroom, it is important to recognize

that behavior management is essential to success, especially in the early childhood classroom

(Furmanek, 2014). Children many need the activity modeled at first, as well as a clear boundary

set for their space such as a taped area, a defined shape, or an area marked off with cones

(Furmanek, 2014).

Early Childhood Benefits

While all of these ideas are beneficial for students, it is important to look to the benefits it

can have specifically on early childhood classrooms. According to Stevens-Smith (2016b), the

period of time from conception to around eighteen months is when movement is as important as

good nutrition. Most children who are of the ages three to five spend a large portion of their day

in an early childhood school or an early childhood center, where teachers can positively or

negatively affect a physically active and healthy lifestyle (Robinson & Wadsworth, 2010). Kirk

et al. (2014), found that most early childhood teachers do little to encourage a child’s

participation when it comes to incorporating movement into outdoor physical play.

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 22

Knowing this, research has shown that patterns that promote being physically active are

set early in life (Abadie & Brown, 2010). Children become more literate in the area of physical

activity when movement experiences are integrated in the early childhood classroom

(Furnmanek, 2014). They need to experience learning with as many senses as possible (Pica,

2010). A lot of curriculums in early childhood use a center model, where there is frequent

movement (Wadsworth et al., 2012). This makes incorporating movement transitions between

centers or stations easier than a typical classroom that isn’t center based (Wadsworth et al.,

2012).

Students also spend a large portion of their day playing, which is essential to developing

the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical well-being of said students (Steven Smith, 2016a).

When incorporating physical activity into the early childhood center, the focus should be on

expending calories with highly physical activities such as running and jumping (Abadie &

Brown, 2010). When physical activity was included in Head Start classrooms through academic

sessions, it offered an approach to also increase the amount of physical activity that students

were getting (Kirk et al., 2014).

According to Abadie & Brown (2010), it is obvious that early childhood programs should

be integrating physical activity into their academic time, such as transition times, during

academic periods, and outside at recess. In addition, most early childhood centers incorporate

songs and movement already, which are great neurological exercises that are essential to brain

development (Pica, 2010). In early childhood, it is especially important to consider a child’s

developmental stage when planning activities (Furmanek, 2014). Simple activities that can often

get overlooked, like spinning, rolling, and jumping help to stimulate systems that interact to help

keep a child’s balance and coordination (Steven-Smith, 2016b). If the foundations for physical

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 23

activity are laid early on in the pre-school years, then children will be able to cope better with the

demands that come along with learning as they grow (Archer & Siraj, 2015). They will be able to

better control eye movement, their hand-eye coordination, and have an easier time sitting and

concentrating (Archer & Siraj, 2015).

Opposing Viewpoints and Conflicts

One opposing argument or conflict to incorporating movement is that not enough

research has been done on the subject of movement in the classroom and the results of the

research that has been done is inconsistent and does not consistently line up with increasing

academic performance in subjects like reading and math (Savine, et. al., 2016; Abadie & Brown,

2010). Further research could be conducted on why there are different effects of movement in

different content areas (Savine, et. al., 2016). This could mean conducting research in content

areas, then comparing results to see if there is consistency between the two. If the same strategies

are applied in reading, math, and social studies, the results should provide consistent data. If not,

it opens up doors to more questions and yet further research. However, this would not disprove

that movement has benefits that can improve learning, it only points to conducting more

research.

Another argument that can be made against incorporating movement in education,

specifically early childhood education, is that there is not a clear agreement with neuroscientists

about how the brain science links to education (Archer & Siraj, 2015). This argument, like the

others, suggests that more testing needs to be completed before there is a viable solution or

answers for teachers to follow to guarantee results in their classroom (Archer & Siraj, 2015).

However, Archer & Siraj (2015), also discredit the argument by offering the idea that using brain

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 24

research could alter the way that children are taught and offer new programs and educational

strategies that streamline learning.

Impact on Students, Teachers and Schools

This research will impact students and teachers in many ways. First, at the district level,

the amount of time provided for recess and physical education needs to be reexamined. The

district will need to first find out how much time they are giving all grade levels for physical

education and recess. Obviously, the time will vary depending on the grade level, but schools

should be ensuring that all students are getting, at the very minimum, some time in their schedule

for physical activity. If they are not, the district should be looking into how their schedule can be

altered to include the much needed and beneficial physical activity into each student’s day.

Along with that, the district should implement a set time for recess based on the grade level

and/or ages of students. The research that has already been conducted will help them guide their

regulations moving forward.

At a teacher level, each teacher can begin thinking about small things they can do each

day to implement movement into their classroom. While this literature review provides ideas as

well as benefits from each, there are many options that are yet to be explored. The research

should cause teachers to pause and think about the benefits movement has in the classroom with

little extra work.

Lastly, this will impact students the most. While students may not realize it, a change in

their routine, even for a few short minutes every hour, will greatly benefit them. When students

start moving throughout the day, they will experience many benefits they may not even be aware

of. These benefits will not only improve their learning today, but also help them well into their

adult lives.

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 25

Areas of Future Research

Flexible seating. One area that could be further researched is a trend that is taking over

elementary classrooms throughout the country: flexible seating. Flexible seating is the idea that

students can choose where and how they learn best. This incorporates movement because most

options provide opportunities for students to move. For example, types of flexible seating are

things like stability balls, wobble seats, seat discs, cushions, yoga mats and more. According to

Parnell (2013), the classroom environment is important and is really the third teacher in a

student’s learning. If this is true, than how and where a student learns is vital to their success in

the classroom as well as their academic success. Research can look at how a teacher or school

can give students the movement that their body seeks, giving them the ability to focus, learn and

grow. (Stevens-Smith, 2016a).

More specifically, research could look at different types of flexible seating to determine if

there is one option that gives students the ability to focus for longer periods over a different

option. While some research has been conducted in this area, specifically stability balls, there is

more to be done. For example, Savina et. al., (2016) has suggested that giving students a stability

ball to sit on instead of a typical chair may help them to stay on task. However, there is so much

more that can be investigated, researched and flushed out in the area of flexible seating. This

includes giving students a choice of where and/or what to sit on when they are working. This

could also play a factor into their ability to focus, while incorporating movement. If movement is

incorporated while students are working, instead of simply during recess, physical education, and

instruction time, what, if any, impact does this have their ability to stay on task and stay healthy?

Movement During Instruction. Another area that needs further research is movement

while teachers give instruction. While there have been studies and research conducted in specific

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 26

content areas and with specific movements, a study that looks at a set movement strategy across

content areas may be beneficial in determining if including movement into learning is of benefit

and if academic scores will show it. Movement can easily be sprinkled into a day, spicing up a

student’s routine as if it were salt and pepper (Furmanek, 2014). These movement strategies

could include but are not limited to actions with important concepts or words, walking or jogging

in place while teaching, stretchy bands on chairs and more.

In addition, according to Chandler & Tricott, (2015), it is believed that using gestures can

offload working memory. This would allow students to develop a deeper understanding of what

is being taught (Chandler & Tricott, 2015). It can also be assumed that taking actions in addition

to hearing or seeing it can give the brain more cues to help retrieve and represent knowledge that

has been acquired (Chandler & Tricott, 2015). Research can be conducted further to determine if

incorporating gestures while working indeed helps students learn. Things that can be looked at

include crossing the mid-line, using different parts of the body, and different types of physical

activity.

Overall, there is a lack of knowledge and understanding of why physical inactivity both

outside of the classroom as well as during instruction improves academic performance (Savina et

al., 2016). More can be done to study what the best practice is in this area as well as how to

integrate movement into the classroom (Savina et al., 2016). In addition, researchers also need to

consider in what ways those with physical disabilities can be included and incorporated into

physical activity in the school setting (Savina et al., 2016). As a whole, the research community

needs to continue to look at ways that physical activities and interventions can be implemented

into the school setting due to the fact that children spend at least seven hours a day there (Philips

et al., 2016).

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 27

Conclusion

In conclusion, movement matters in a child’s life during recess, physical education, and

in their general education classroom. While children are getting activities throughout the day like

recess and physical education, it is not enough. Movement and physical activity allow students to

do their best learning, which results from brain scans suggest (Stevens-Smith, 2016b). In

addition, many practitioners believe that the relationship between specific movements and

developing neurons influence academic achievement (Archer & Siraj, 2015).

Brain research also finds a link between movement and the benefits it may have on a

developing brain. When sensorimotor and cognitive processes work together, neurons in a

child’s brain grow and meld with one other, making them quicker and better at sending and

receiving messages (Chandler & Tricot, 2014, Stevens-Smith, 2016a). Fresh oxygen is also

provided during periods of movements, allowing the brain to function at its best (Stevens-Smith,

2016b). When children are physically moving, their brains are creating neurological foundations

that help to develop and foster creativity, problem solving, and language development (Stevens-

Smith, 2016a).

While brain research points to the benefits of using movement to strengthen the mind,

lifestyle changes and legislature have affected how movement is viewed in the school setting. The

average American is becoming less and less active (Savina et al., 2016). Movement can also help

to lower anxiety, stress and depression as well as help to develop or boost a child’s self-esteem

(Savina et al., 2016). However, children spend nearly four fifths of their day sitting or

incorporating little movement (Robinson & Wadsworth, 2010). In conjunction with lifestyle

changes that American’s have been seeing, legislature has placed pressure on schools to limit the

amount of time students spend moving, instead using it as instruction time (Martin, et al., 2018).

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 28

No Child Left Behind, or NCLB, was passed in 2001 and required standardized testing for students

and insisted that all teachers be highly qualified (Wiebelhaus & Hanson, 2016). This tremendously

cut down recess time for many students and in some cases even eliminated it (Martin et al., 2018).

Results of the inactivity in schools effects students both now and into their future (Abadie

& Brown, 2010). Students who become active or part of a physical activity program are less likely

to have health complications from diseases (Abadie & Brown, 2010). Movement can help to lay

the foundation of self-regulation and help children learn boundaries (Williams, 2018, Stevens-

Smith, 2016b).

Incorporating movement into the day can be done in many ways including but not limited

to recess, brain breaks, physical activity breaks, gestures and more, all provide ways for students

to keep moving throughout the day. These things can be extremely helpful for children, especially

those who may face ADHD (Wiebelhaus & Hanson, 2016). The best time to include or tie these

ideas into the classroom is during transitional periods or between activities (Wadsworth et al.,

2012).

Due to the research that has already been conducted, the next steps going forward is to look

at how specific strategies can be applied in the classroom and how effective they can be. Movement

has many benefits that can enhance and improve how students learn. The more that physical

activity and movement is included in a child’s day, the more active their brain will become

(Stevens-Smith, 2016b). It is the job of the research community going forward to pinpoint and

discover exactly what strategies can be replicated in classrooms so that all students can benefit

from movement. In today’s world where the American lifestyle is becoming less and less active,

it is important to get students moving and active throughout their day (Abadie & Brown, 2010,

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 29

Savina et al., 2016). Learning with and through movement can be a great place to start and teach

students beneficial habits from early childhood on that will help carry them into their adult lives.

INCORPORATING MOVEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 30

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