How to Get Students Ready to Learn After Brain Breaks or Recess

How to Get Students Ready to Learn After Brain Breaks or Recess

Do your students have trouble settling down after brain breaks or recess time?  Maybe you are hesitant to incorporate movement into the school day because you loathe the aftermath of getting the high energy students to return to academic work.  Research indicates that students learn better after movement breaks.  Therapists, teachers, and parents know this but squeezing in brain breaks and recess can be difficult when students have high academic workloads.  To improve student’s behaviors after brain breaks one of the easiest ways is to follow the same brain break routine every time so everyone knows what to expect.  BUT, have you ever considered your own behaviors or actions regarding how your students react following movement breaks?  Our actions, behaviors and emotional states significantly influence the outcomes of children.

Here are suggestions to change your own actions as the adult to help students get ready to learn after brain breaks or recess:

1. Talk in a low, calm voice.  If we start the lesson or activity out with a quiet, low, calm tone of voice children will model our behavior.
2. Minimize your own movement.  Stay in one place while you instruct the class so the students can direct their focus to one location.
3. Minimize your own gestures.  Try not to only stay in one place but also try to start the lesson out minimizing your gestures.  Avoid talking with your hands, pointing and general fidgeting yourself.
4. Change the lighting.  If possible dim the lighting to encourage the students to return to a calm state with their bodies ready to learn.
5. Direct the student’s attention to an area that is organized, clutter-free and has limited visual distractions.  Perhaps have an area in the room that has decreased visual input.  Position yourself in that area so the students can focus their attention directly on you.

Not only are these suggestions suitable for after brain breaks or recess, but they can be applied to anytime you need to have children learning a new skill.

Here are several more suggestions to help get students ready to learn:

Help students who continue to fidget.

Offer students self-assessment checklist to determine if they are ready to learn.

Provide Ready to Work Clip Charts.

Teach deep breathing exercises to help calm the class.

Provide different calming strategies for students.

Offer alternative seating.

Breathing Breaks: This digital download is a collection of 16 deep breathing exercises and 3 tip sheets. Deep breathing exercises can help to decrease stress, reduce anxiety, remain calm, strengthen sustained attention, sharpen the ability to learn and more! This packet includes 16 full page breathing exercises and 3 tips sheets in color or black and white. In addition, the breathing exercises are provided 4 to a page to make smaller cards or booklets.  FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION.

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Integrating Physical Activity to Facilitate Learning – Evidence Based Research

Integrating Physical Activity to Facilitate Learning – Evidence-Based Research

Research indicates that integrating physical activity to facilitate learning is beneficial in the classroom environment.  Two recent studies were performed with preschool students to compare lessons with physical activity and without physical activity.

One study included 90 preschool-aged children who were randomly assigned to an integrated physical activity condition including task-relevant physical activities, a nonintegrated physical activity condition involving task-irrelevant physical activities, or a control condition (conventional sedentary style of teaching).  The results indicated that immediately and after 6 weeks,  learning outcomes were highest in the integrated condition and higher in the nonintegrated condition than in the control condition.  In addition, the preschool children in the integrated condition scored higher on the perceived enjoyment of learning.

In a separate study, 87 preschool children participating in a geography lesson were randomly assigned to an integrated physical activity condition, unintegrated physical activity condition and a control condition (sedentary instruction).  The results indicated that both physical activity conditions had higher retention levels of the material.  Once again, the children in the integrated condition had higher ratings for enjoyability of the lesson.  Both physical activity conditions had higher levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity.

Therefore, both studies indicated that integrating physical activity to facilitate learning in a preschool classroom resulted in improved learning outcomes versus a conventional sedentary lesson.

References:

Mavilidi, M. F., Okely, A. D., Chandler, P., & Paas, F. (2017). Effects of Integrating Physical Activities Into a Science Lesson on Preschool Children’s Learning and Enjoyment. Applied Cognitive Psychology.

Mavilidi, M., Okely, A., Chandler, P., & Paas, F. (2017). Infusing task-relevant physical activities into the classroom: effects on preschool children’s geography learning. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 20, e109.

Here are 3 resources that encourage movement and learning:

1.  The ABC’s of Movement®- Combine Movement with Literacy  – The ABC’s of Movement® is a pdf document of educational flash cards that combine movement with literacy development. Kids love these colorful flash cards that merge learning the alphabet with twenty six fun, noncompetitive movement activities. Designed for children of all abilities from preschool through 2nd grade, these flash cards were developed by a physical therapist with learning and physical development in mind. Ideal for home and school use. These bright, bold letters and full color photographs of children make learning easy and fun!
2. Movement Flashcards – Movement Flashcards digital download includes 10 aerobic exercises with flash cards templates. Students can get physical activity while reviewing material. The 10 aerobic activities include: run in place, jumping, hopping, squats, lunges, skipping, twists, cross crawls, jumping jacks and marching. Each page includes a picture image of the aerobic exercise along with a blank template to type in 18 flash cards. You choose what to work on for academic material.
3. The ABC’s of Active Learning – Exploring educational concepts through movement and multiple senses give children opportunities to learn in ways they understand. The alphabet activities from A to Z are a collection of activities that can be used with children of all abilities.

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Aerobic Fitness in Middle School and Changes in Academic Achievement

Aerobic Fitness in Middle School and Changes in Academic Achievement – Pediatric Exercise Science published research examining the changes in 52 adolescents (6th – 8th grade) in aerobic fitness and academic achievement in reading and mathematics during middle school.  Each student completed PACER tests measuring aerobic fitness and ISAT academic achievement tests in reading and mathematics.

The results indicated the following:

• changes in aerobic fitness between sixth and eighth grade were positively related to changes in academic achievement in both reading and mathematics between sixth and eighth grade.

The researchers concluded that changes in aerobic fitness may modulate changes in academic achievement.

Reference:  Raine, L. B., Biggan, J. R., Baym, C. L., Saliba, B. J., Cohen, N. J., & Hillman, C. H. (2017). Adolescent Changes in Aerobic Fitness are Related to Changes in Academic Achievement. Pediatric Exercise Science, 1-21.

25+ Bilateral Coordination Exercises digital download is a collection of bilateral coordination exercise sheets including QR codes with links to video demonstration of exercises.  A QR code is a black and white image with squares, that stores website links for reading by the camera on a smartphone.Each exercise page includes picture images and step by step directions of a whole body bilateral coordination exercise.  Also included, is a link to a You Tube video with a demonstration of the exercise along with a slow motion video of the exercise. Parents, students or teachers can simply use a QR code reader app on their smart phone or tablet to go directly to the video demonstration.

This exercise packet allow therapist to send home therapeutic exercise ideas including video demonstration. There is also a hand out to give to parents explaining bilateral coordination skills and how to use the QR codes. None of the exercises require any equipment.

These activities encourage: bilateral coordination, aerobic fitness, motor timing, motor planning, muscle strengthening and balance skills. FIND OUT MORE.

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10 Classroom Jobs that Require Physical Activity

All children benefit from movement throughout the school day.  Whether it be brain breaks, multisensory lessons or recess, physical activity helps students get the brain ready for optimal learning.  Another option to squeeze in physical activity time during the school day is to assign classroom jobs or chores that require physical activity and proprioceptive input (heavy work).  Here is a list of 10 classroom jobs that require physical activity.

1. Classroom messenger – student can walk throughout the school to deliver messages from the teacher to the office, other teachers, etc.
2. Board Eraser – student is responsible to wash the whiteboards or chalkboards at the end of the day.
3. Sweeper – sweep the dust up off of the classroom floor.
4. Picker Upper – Bend over, squat or crawl to pick up all the larger items that the broom can not get.
5. Recycle Duty – check all recycle bins and bring to proper location to empty bins.
6. Paper Duty – pass out and/or collect papers for the teacher.
7. Book Duty – pass out and/or collect books for the teacher.
8. Chair Stacker – stacks all the chairs at the end of the day.
9. Mail Duty – picks up mail from the teacher’s mailbox in the office.
10. Desk Washer – wipes down the desks.

Do you have any additional suggestions for creative school chores that include physical activity?

Mini Movement Breaks: This download is a collection of 60+ quick sensory motor activity cards. The mini movement breaks are quick and require no equipment. The movement breaks can be done indoors. Most of the movement breaks can be done with one child or a group of children. It does not get any easier than this to encourage sensory motor activities in the classroom or home. FIND OUT MORE.

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Beanbag Alphabet Fun – Gross Motor and Body Awareness Activity

Beanbag Alphabet Fun:  Beanbags are a wonderful tool to encourage physical activity, body awareness, motor planning and coordination skills in children.  They are inexpensive or you can even make them yourself with socks and some rice.  So grab a beanbag for each child and try moving through the alphabet with your beanbag.  You can download this as a one page handout below.

A:  Put the beanbag on your ARM.

B:  Put the beanbag on your BACK.

C:  CATCH the beanbag in the air.

D: Put the beanbag DOWN on the floor.

E:  Put the beanbag on your EAR.

F:  Put the beanbag on your FOOT.

G:  GALLOP with your beanbag.

H:  Put the beanbag on your HEAD.

I:  Walk IN a circle around your beanbag.

J:  JUMP with your beanbag.

K: KICK your beanbag.

L:  LEAP over your beanbag.

M:  MARCH in a circle with your beanbag.

N:  Put the beanbag on your NOSE.

O:  Jump OVER your beanbag.

P:  Put the beanbag on your PALM.

Q:  QUICKLY toss your beanbag up.

R:  RUN in place with your beanbag.

S:  Put the beanbag on your SHOULDER.

T:  TWIRL in a circle with your beanbag.

U:  Put the beanbag UNDER your foot.

V:  Hold the beanbag VERY high up.

W:  WALK backwards with your beanbag.

X:  Slide your beanbag up your leg and pretend to take an X-RAY.

Y:  YELL the word beanbag.

Z:  ZOOM around the room with your beanbag.

Looking for more beanbag activities?  Check out 50 Sensory Motor Activities for Kids!  This ebook includes an whole section on games to play with beanbags.

Need more alphabet movement and learning activities?  Check out Sensory Motor Group Activities A to Z and The ABC’s of Movement®- Combine Movement with Literacy.

 

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Math, Movement and Motor Skills

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience published research on math, movement and motor skills.  The participants included 165 children, average age 7.5 years old, who were randomized into three groups for 6 weeks of mathematical instruction: a non motor group, a fine motor math group and a gross motor math group.  The gross motor group performed inter-limb gross motor movements that alternated between dynamic and static movements and involved a large range of movement (e.g., skipping, crawling, hopscotching, throwing, one-legged balance) while solving mathematical problems throughout all lessons.  The fine motor group manipulated LEGO® bricks supporting the mathematical principles.  Each child completed a standardized mathematical test before, immediately after and 8 weeks after the intervention.  In addition, the researchers examined whether motor-enriched math was accompanied by different effects in low and normal math performers and the potential contribution of cognitive functions and motor skills on mathematical performance.

The results indicated the following:

• all groups improved their mathematical performance on test scores before and immediately after.
• improvement on test scores was significantly greater in the gross motor group compared to the fine motor group
• no significant differences in mathematical performance were observed 8 weeks following the intervention.
• normal math-performers benefited from gross motor math compared to both the control group and the fine motor group although these effects were not observed in low math-performers. The effects were partly accounted for by visuo-spatial short-term memory and gross motor skills.

The researchers concluded that motor enriched learning activities (particularly gross motor math instruction) can improve mathematical performance.

Reference:  Beck, M. M., Lind, R. R., Geertsen, S. S., Ritz, C., Lundbye-Jensen, J., & Wienecke, J. (2016). Motor-Enriched Learning Activities Can Improve Mathematical Performance in Preadolescent Children. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 10.

Want to incorporate gross motor movements into your math lessons?  Create some Movement Flashcards.

Movement Flashcards digital download includes 10 aerobic exercises with flash cards templates. Students can get physical activity while reviewing material. The 10 aerobic activities include: run in place, jumping, hopping, squats, lunges, skipping, twists, cross crawls, jumping jacks and marching. Each page includes a picture image of the aerobic exercise along with a blank template to type in 18 flash cards. You choose what to work on for academic material.  FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION.

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Aerobic Exercise Improved Self Regulation and Behavior

Pediatrics published research to determine if structured aerobic exercise during physical education (PE) resulted in improvements in behavioral self-regulation and classroom functioning among 103 children (ages 7-16 years old) with students with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and mood disorders.

Over a 14-week crossover design, students were randomly assigned to receive the 7-week aerobic cybercycling PE curriculum or standard nonaerobic PE.  The cybercycling phase had children use the bikes 2 times per week during 30- to 40-minute PE classes.

The results indicated that following the aerobic intervention phase, children experienced 32% to 51% lower odds of poor self-regulation and learning-inhibiting disciplinary time out of class.   The effects were more pronounced on days that children participated in the aerobic exercise where disruptive behaviors dropped over 70 percent, but carryover effects were also observed.

References:

Bowling, A. et al. Cybercycling Effects on Classroom Behavior in Children With Behavioral Health Disorders: An RCT. Pediatrics Jan 2017, e20161985; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2016-1985

Heasley, S. Study: Exercise May Cut Behavior Issues In Half. Retrieved on 1/12/2017 from http://ift.tt/2iabN0C

Self Regulation Skills Curriculum: Move – Work – Breathe – This curriculum provides an effective, time-efficient structured system to provide classroom breaks, improve self-awareness and self advocacy and teach specific self-regulation skills so that kids have tools to use in their classrooms. This system will get kids moving, give them the benefits of a brain power boost [from getting their heart rate up], give them heavy work and isometrics to help them calm down, and help them learn techniques to quiet and control their bodies in order to return to their academic work. FIND OUT MORE.

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Acute Exercise and Executive Function in Children

Psychophysiology published research on the effects of acute exercise on executive function in 20 healthy, 8-10, year old children.  This study compared the effect of an acute bout of continuous or intermittent, moderate-intensity treadmill exercise on executive function in young children. Participants in the continuous exercise group ran at 90% of gas exchange threshold whereas the participants in the intermittent exercise group performed six consecutive 2.5 min blocks of exercise.  The intermittent exercise block was designed to reflect children’s typical activity patterns, comprising 45 s at a heavy intensity, 33 s at a moderate intensity, 10 s at a severe intensity, and 62 s at a low intensity.

Assessment of executive function included the Stroop task before the submaximal exercise bouts and after, at 1-, 15-, and 30-min intervals and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to measure cerebral perfusion and oxygenation.

The results indicated that:

• in both conditions, Stroop performance was improved at 1 min after compared to before and the improvements were maintained until 30 min after.
• NIRS (oxyhemoglobin, total hemoglobin) explained a significant amount of variance in the change in Stroop performance for the intermittent group only.

The researchers concluded that an acute bout of exercise, of either an intermittent or continuous nature, improves executive function in children, and effects are maintained for ≤ 30 min following exercise cessation.  Therefore, it is recommended that children should participate in bouts of physical activity during the school day.

Reference:  Lambrick, D., Stoner, L., Grigg, R. and Faulkner, J. (2016), Effects of continuous and intermittent exercise on executive function in children aged 8–10 years. Psychophysiology, 53: 1335–1342. doi: 10.1111/psyp.12688

Mini Movement Breaks – This download is a collection of 60+ quick sensory motor activity cards. The mini movement breaks are quick and require no equipment. The movement breaks can be done indoors. Most of the movement breaks can be done with one child or a group of children. It does not get any easier than this to encourage sensory motor activities in the classroom or home.  FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION.

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Less Movement = Harder to Read for Boys

The Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport published research on the association of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time (ST) with reading and arithmetic skills in 89 boys and 69 girls aged 6–8 years.  MVPA and ST were assessed by monitoring heart rate, using a movement sensor and measuring body fat percentage.  Reading fluency, reading comprehension, and arithmetic skills were evaluated using standardized tests in Grades 1–3.  Data analysis revealed the following:

• for boys, MVPA was directly and ST inversely associated with reading fluency in Grades 1–3 and arithmetic skills in Grade 1.
• for boys. higher levels of MVPA were also related to better reading comprehension in Grade 1.
• for boys, a combination of lower levels of MVPA and higher levels of ST had consistently poorer reading fluency and reading comprehension across Grades 1–3.
•  for girls, ST was directly associated with arithmetic skills in Grade 2. However, this relationship of ST with arithmetic skills was no longer significant after adjustment for body fat percentage.

The researchers concluded that lower levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity, higher levels of sedentary time, and particularly the combination of the two, were related to poorer reading skills in boys.

Reference:  Haapala, Eero A., et al. “Physical activity and sedentary time in relation to academic achievement in children.” Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport (2016). DOI: http://ift.tt/2hzB16W

Mini Movement Breaks  This download is a collection of 60+ quick sensory motor activity cards. The mini movement breaks are quick and require no equipment. The movement breaks can be done indoors. Most of the movement breaks can be done with one child or a group of children. It does not get any easier than this to encourage sensory motor activities in the classroom or home.  Find out more information.

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6 Strategies to Optimize Learning With Physical Activity

Research strongly indicates that exercise and physical activity helps to boost brain power.  Here are 6 strategies to put that research into motion:

1. Get students moving and physically active.  Inspire students to exercise and be physically active.  School staff can add movement during brain breaks, recess time, during physical education, transition time and during lessons.  Parents can encourage decreased screen time and increased outdoor time at home.
2. Incorporate exercise into learning activities.  When possible, teachers can add in physical activity directly into the lesson.
3. Schedule physical activity during the school day at the best times.  Try increasing physical activity before at test or a challenging class.  Read 10 Easy Ways to Get the Brain Ready for Testing.
4. Educate the school and family on the benefits of physical activity.  This will help everyone understand and encourage children to be physically active inside and outside of school.  Read 5 evidence based reasons how exercise impacts brain power.
5. Start a committee to help increase physical activity in your school or community.  Create and develop a plan to start increasing physical activity throughout the school day and in the community.
6. Teach the students the health benefits of being physically active.  When the students are educated, they will be more internally motivated to exercise.

Reference:  Reference: Marcus Conyers and Donna Wilson. Smart moves: Powering up the brain with physical activity. Phi Delta Kappan May 2015 96: 38-42, doi:10.1177/0031721715583961

Classroom Activity Posters is a download collection of 16 exercise activities, 4 large posters and a brief, simple video demonstration of each exercise.The posters are divided into four groups: posture, alerting, ready to work and focus/balance. All of the exercises are performed in standing. Try these activities prior to starting fine motor activities, for posture breaks, to refocus students attention and for vestibular/ proprioceptive input in the classroom.  Find out more information.

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5 Ways That Exercise Impacts Brain Power

Children and adolescents spend an average of 6 and 8 hours per day, respectively, in sedentary behaviors, both during and outside of school. This sedentary time is increasing in children in recent years most likely due to a dramatic increase in screen time and increased academic rigor in the classrooms.  Research indicates that physical activity influences brain power.

Here is some evidence based research on how exercise impacts brain power:

1. Exercise enhances neurogenesis which is the the creation of new brain cells in regions of the brain associated with higher-order thinking and recall.
2. Exercise boosts the formation of synaptic connections between neurons in response to learning and sensory input from the environment.
3. Physical activity appears to stimulate the production of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which helps neurons and synapses grow.
4. Exercise assists with the creation and maintenance of healthy blood vessels to increase blood and oxygen flow to enhance brain functioning.
5. Physical activity helps create a positive mood.  This in turn releases neurochemicals such as endorphins, melatonin, and serotonin, increasing neural activation in parts of the brain associated with positive emotions and increased attention and focus.

Reference:  Marcus Conyers and Donna Wilson. Smart moves: Powering up the brain with physical activity. Phi Delta Kappan May 2015 96: 38-42, doi:10.1177/0031721715583961

50 Sensory Motor Activities for Kids –  this download of creative, fun filled activities promote fundamental motor skills, sensory processing, motor planning and body awareness. The book is divided into three sections – Games to Play in Small Spaces (classroom or small room), Games to Play in Large Spaces (gymnasium or outdoors) and Games to Play with Bean Bags. The activities require simple equipment such as bean bags, hoops, rope, balls, etc. Find out more information.

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Bilateral Coordination and Academic Performance in Children

Pediatrics International published research on 100 Brazilian children (ages 8-11 years old)  evaluating interlimb coordination and its relationship to their academic performance.  Each child was assessed with the Bruininks–Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency and the Academic Performance Test. Participants were grouped into low (<25%) and high (>75%) academic achievers.

The results indicated:

1. a significant difference between groups for Total Motor Composite on the Bruininks-Oseretsky favoring the high group.
2. a significant association between academic performance and Body Coordination.
3. from the subtests of Body Coordination (Bilateral Coordination and Balance), Bilateral Coordination accounted for the highest impact on academic performance.

Reference:  Sheila Cristina da Silva Pacheco, Carl Gabbard, Lilian Gerdi Kittel Ries and Tatiana Godoy Bobbio. Interlimb coordination and academic performance in elementary school children. Pediatrics International. October 2016. DOI: 10.1111/ped.12972

25+ Bilateral Coordination Exercises is a collection of bilateral coordination exercise sheets including QR codes with links to video demonstration of exercises. A QR code is a black and white image with squares, that stores website links for reading by the camera on a smartphone.Each exercise page includes picture images and step by step directions of a whole body bilateral coordination exercise. Also included, is a link to a You Tube video with a demonstration of the exercise along with a slow motion video of the exercise. Parents, students or teachers can simply use a QR code reader app on their smart phone or tablet to go directly to the video demonstration.

These activities encourage: bilateral coordination, motor timing, motor planning, muscle strengthening and balance skills.

FIND OUT MORE.

 

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Movement Activities and Math Skills

The school year will be starting shortly for many of us.  Start the school year off with fun, purposeful activities that combine movement with math skills.  Not only will children benefit from the physical activity, moving while learning can help with memory skills, attention and focus.  Here are three fun math activities that can be modified as needed to include many different math skills.

Purpose:  Practice sensory motor skills while reinforcing math concepts.  This is a great in class energy release.

Materials:  math flash cards, dice

Activity #1 – Flash Card Fun for a Group:  Have the group sit or stand in a circle. Create one rule for the group to start. For example, if the answer is correct everyone should clap hands and if the answer is incorrect everyone should jump in place. Pick a student to go first. Hold up a flash card.  Student responds verbally with the answer to the math problem. The rest of the group must now act.  Each student must begin to perform with clapping hands or jumping in place depending upon whether the answer is correct or incorrect. The leader then reports the correct answer. Continue playing creating new rules with new movements every 10 flash cards.

Activity #2 – Circle Math: Have the group stand in a large circle with a clear path behind the entire circle. Make sure there is ample distance between each student. The leader stands stationary out the outside of the circle. The group walks in a circle, one student behind the other. When a student arrives at the leader, the group stops walking, the students reads aloud the problem and answers it. If the answer is correct, the group continues to walk forward. If the answer is incorrect, the group walks backward in the circle. The next student now arrives at the leader and answers flash card problem. Continue playing until all flash cards have been answered.

Activity #3:  Dice Jumping: This activity is for simple math problems. Again, have the group standing in a circle with area clear. One student goes in the middle of the circle. The student rolls the dice and adds them up and shouts out the answer. The students in the circle join hands with the student in the middle. All the children jump in place the number of times of the sum of the dice. Continue playing until all students have had a turn rolling the dice.

For more activity ideas check out Get Up and Learn! – How to Integrate Movement with Learning e-book.

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Action Verbs

Here are two pages from the Action Word Writing Packet to expand your student’s vocabulary, use for brain breaks, practice handwriting and more.  Download the Action Word Wall freebie here –  http://yourtherapysource.com/actionwordwallfreebie.html Get more information on the complete packet here – http://yourtherapysource.com/actionwordwall.html

Get Moving and Learning!

I am not sure if you have ever heard of Dr. Jean but she is an amazing early childhood educator who has authored many books, written songs and produced videos.  She is a huge supporter of encouraging movement with learning.  Here are some of my most favorite Dr. Jean videos for combining movement and learning for counting, phonics, letter identification and handwriting. I love her slow, methodical, repetitive movements.

Practice fine motor skills while cheering the alphabet.

Some simple arm strengthening exercises while you practice counting to 100.

Get moving while learning the letter sounds with Phonercise.

How about some karate writing to reinforce which letters start at the top, middle or have a tail? Check out Karate letters.

If you need more ideas or “offline” ideas to encourage movement and learning check out Get Up and Learn ebook at http://www.yourtherapysource.com/getuplearn.html

The #1 Intervention to Help Students to Sit Still in the Classroom...

The Summer/Fall survey results have been posted.  Read all about the modifications and interventions that work best according to over 150 pediatric occupational and physical therapists to help students sit still in the classroom.  Based on 175 responses, the #1 intervention to help students sit still was having the teacher incorporate movement into lesson plans.  You can see all the results here - http://yourtherapysource.com/surveymovement.html

Please take a moment to answer the current, short survey on pull out therapy, push in therapy, consultations and evaluations.  THANK YOU IN ADVANCE.  Would love to hear what your caseloads look like.  You can respond here http://yourtherapysource.com/survey.html

Alphabet Hunt Movement and Learning Activity

Download this free Category Scavenger Hunt.  Write a letter in each box on the left.  Find objects that start with those letters.  Write down what you find.  TIme yourself to see how quickly you can find the correct objects.  You can download your free copy here http://yourtherapysource.com/scavengerhuntfreebie.html

Get more information about the complete Scavenger Hunts.

Movement, Math and Visual Perceptual Skill Freebie - Roll, Move and Cover

Here is a fun game, Roll, Move and Cover that incorporates movement, visual perceptual skills, fine motor skills and math skills.  It is a freebie game from Animal Actions A to Z.  Basically, the student rolls two dice, adds up the numbers, finds the number, performs an animal action and then colors in the circle to cover it up.  Another option is to cover up each circle with a small ball of clay.  You can download the free activity here  http://yourtherapysource.com/animalactionsazfreebie.html

Get more information on Animal Actions A to Zat http://yourtherapysource.com/animalactionsaz.html

They See Me Rolling....Sight Words

Here is a activity idea similar to one from our electronic book Play Strong – Activities to Promote Muscle Strengthening in Children Through Play This is a four year old boy working on bilateral coordination, upper extremity and trunk muscle strengthening. The equipment needed is a regular size rolling pin and index cards. There are several index cards folded in half with sight words written on each card. The adult or friend calls out a word. The boy rolls the rolling pin over the correct word to steam roll the card.

You may manage your subscription options from your profile

Play Strong: Activities to Promote Muscle Strengthening in Children Through Play 

FIND OUT MORE AT http://www.yourtherapysource.com/playstrong

Movement Breaks and Time on Task

Pediatric Exercise Science published research on 118 preschool students who participated in a 10 minute teacher implemented classroom based activity break for 2 days (study was over 4 days – 2 days the activity break was conducted and the other 2 days was regular instruction).   Physical activity was monitored via accelerometry.  Time on-task was measured by direct observation.

The results indicated the following:

1.  the 10 minute activity breaks resulted in a higher percent of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).

2.  activity breaks also encouraged more on-task behavior after the activity break.

3.  the students who were the most off-task before the break improved on-task behavior by 30 percentage points.

The researchers concluded that teachers may improve time on-task after an activity break for preschoolers, especially in children who are the most off-task.

Reference:   E. Kipling Webster, Danielle D. Wadsworth, Leah E. Robinson. Preschoolers’ Time On-Task and Physical Activity During a Classroom Activity Break. PES Volume 27, Issue 1, February. doi.org/10.1123/pes.2014-0006

Mini Movement Breaks -Download of 60+ quick sensory motor activity cards for school,
home or therapy clinic.  Find out more at http://yourtherapysource.com/minimove.html