Integrating Movement Roundup
Ensuring a high-quality physical education program is important. Equally important is ensuring that students are active across the school day and not just in gym class. Research shows that kids who are physically active are not only healthier, but also likely to perform better academically; and short activity breaks during the school day can improve concentration and behavior and enhance learning.
In short, school-based physical activity is valuable exercise. It aids cognitive development; increases engagement and motivation; and is essential to keeping kids healthy and engaged, as well as safe, supported, and challenged. In November we looked at new ways to encourage movement and how schools are bringing physical activity out of the gym and into the classroom.
Listen to the Whole Child Podcast with guests Jill Vialet, CEO and founder of whole child partner Playworks; Michael Opitz, author of Literacy Lessons to Help Kids Get Fit & Healthy; and Andria Caruthers, a principal at West Education Campus in Washington, D.C.
Consider the importance of movement during a typical school day spent sitting at desks. Are we in jeopardy of exposing our students to more stress because we overly focus on collecting data and increasing test scores?