1.) Play Switch-Off: Put an assignment on the board (e.g., pg. 35, problems 1–20) and have students write their name on the paper and complete problem one. Then, when everyone has finished with problem one, have them stand up and move to the next desk, check their classmate’s answer to problem number one and then do problem number two. Continue until every student has done every problem and checked every problem.
2.) Use a Standing Desk as a Reward. Get a standing desk or two and reward students with the opportunity to use them during a lesson. Rotate which students use the standing desks, and by the end of the day, every student will have stood at least once.
3.) Teachers have been using the “Debate” strategy to get their students up and moving for years. The way it works is that the teacher poses a question that really gets students thinking. Then, students must formulate their opinion to be either for or against the question. Once they have made their opinion, they go to a specific side of the classroom where they stand with their team and discuss their opinion. The students on both sides of the classroom take turns debating the issue that was presented.
4.) Think of this movement strategy as a game of musical chairs, except in this activity when the music stops, students must discuss the problem, question, or statement that was posed by the teacher with the person that is the closest to them. This get-up-and-go activity can be used with any sedentary lesson that you may have. For example, let’s say that you were conducting a reading lesson, which usually never involves movement. You can incorporate some movement by playing musical mingle. Students can discuss the text your reading or answer a literary question all while being up and moving about.
5.) Gallery walks are becoming quite popular in classrooms lately. During a “Gallery walk,” students explore multiple texts or images that are placed around the classroom. Teachers often use this strategy as a way to expose their students to different texts as well as a way for students to share their work with their peers. This strategy is especially helpful for kinesthetic learners because students are moving about the classroom.
6.) The chalk talk strategy is much like a gallery walk, except students talk with the chalk. You can also have students do a gallery walk/chalk talk where they walk around the classroom reading text that is placed around the room, then write their response underneath the text with their chalk. You can also pose a question on the front board and have several students come to the board to talk with their chalk to answer or give their opinion of the question. Both teaching strategies are a great way to integrate movement into your lessons.
7.) Incorporating short exercise or stretch breaks into lessons can resharpen children's focus on learning. Especially for younger students, dividing lessons into 8-20 minute "chunks" punctuated with activities that involve movement keeps their attention on learning and helps make the content more memorable. Exercise and stretch breaks also work well during transitions between lessons.
8.) Alphabet Plates: Write the letters of the alphabet on paper plates. Have the kids put them in work together to get in alphabetical order with each student having their own letter.
9.) Spelling Plates: Or if you have older students, have your kids write the letters of their spelling words onto paper plates. Then have them use the plates to spell spelling words and then hop from plate to plate while they spell them out loud.
10.) Implement a Morning Motion Movement: Set aside 10 minutes every morning to start the day off with some movement. Try doing a simple series of yoga or Pilates movements, or download the Sworkit app and put it under your doc cam and do a little classroom video workout. (If only they had a zumba app, you could really have some fun!)
11.) Categories: Call out a category and have your students stand up and clap their hands, say an answer in that category and then point to someone new. They name as many items in that category as they can. See how many nouns or verbs or prime numbers they can get in a row before someone misses a beat.
12.) Fact-Family Relays: Write two parts of a fact family on the board. Break the kids into groups and have one member come up to the board and complete that fact family, then write two parts of another fact family. Have them then pass a baton (a ruler or pencil) onto the next member of their group, who will solve the next fact family. The winning team will get to write the first problem for the next relay race!
13.) Implement a Movement Policy: Make it your classroom policy that kids move when they learn. So when they go to the drinking fountain, they touch the ground after every step. When they sharpen their pencils, they reach toward the ceiling with every step. Whenever they answer a question, they stand up. On the way to the restroom, they do lunges. Before lunch, the whole class does a few Pilates moves.
14.) Ball-Toss Spelling: Call out a spelling word, then toss one of your students a rubber-band balland have them call out the first letter in the word, then toss the ball to another student, who should call out the second letter. … Continue until all of your spelling words have been practiced.
15.) Board games are a great way to engage and motivate your students as they review content. To incorporate movement during the board game, add spaces that require students to do 10 pushups or 10 jumping jacks. Not only are students learning, they also are exercising while they are in social studies or math class. Your PE teachers will love you!!
Put the directions on the back of the laminated board game you have created and simply hand out the game. Instruct students to read the directions and get started. In fact you could have your students make the game boards at the beginning of the year.
16.) What’s Your Response?
Try these prompts to get students engaged and moving during question-and-answer time:
17.) Snowball is a great strategy to keep the students attention and still working on the task at hand. Write a test review question on a piece of paper, wad it into a paper ball, and toss it to a student who opens the paper, responds to the question and tosses it back.
2.) Use a Standing Desk as a Reward. Get a standing desk or two and reward students with the opportunity to use them during a lesson. Rotate which students use the standing desks, and by the end of the day, every student will have stood at least once.
3.) Teachers have been using the “Debate” strategy to get their students up and moving for years. The way it works is that the teacher poses a question that really gets students thinking. Then, students must formulate their opinion to be either for or against the question. Once they have made their opinion, they go to a specific side of the classroom where they stand with their team and discuss their opinion. The students on both sides of the classroom take turns debating the issue that was presented.
4.) Think of this movement strategy as a game of musical chairs, except in this activity when the music stops, students must discuss the problem, question, or statement that was posed by the teacher with the person that is the closest to them. This get-up-and-go activity can be used with any sedentary lesson that you may have. For example, let’s say that you were conducting a reading lesson, which usually never involves movement. You can incorporate some movement by playing musical mingle. Students can discuss the text your reading or answer a literary question all while being up and moving about.
5.) Gallery walks are becoming quite popular in classrooms lately. During a “Gallery walk,” students explore multiple texts or images that are placed around the classroom. Teachers often use this strategy as a way to expose their students to different texts as well as a way for students to share their work with their peers. This strategy is especially helpful for kinesthetic learners because students are moving about the classroom.
6.) The chalk talk strategy is much like a gallery walk, except students talk with the chalk. You can also have students do a gallery walk/chalk talk where they walk around the classroom reading text that is placed around the room, then write their response underneath the text with their chalk. You can also pose a question on the front board and have several students come to the board to talk with their chalk to answer or give their opinion of the question. Both teaching strategies are a great way to integrate movement into your lessons.
7.) Incorporating short exercise or stretch breaks into lessons can resharpen children's focus on learning. Especially for younger students, dividing lessons into 8-20 minute "chunks" punctuated with activities that involve movement keeps their attention on learning and helps make the content more memorable. Exercise and stretch breaks also work well during transitions between lessons.
8.) Alphabet Plates: Write the letters of the alphabet on paper plates. Have the kids put them in work together to get in alphabetical order with each student having their own letter.
9.) Spelling Plates: Or if you have older students, have your kids write the letters of their spelling words onto paper plates. Then have them use the plates to spell spelling words and then hop from plate to plate while they spell them out loud.
10.) Implement a Morning Motion Movement: Set aside 10 minutes every morning to start the day off with some movement. Try doing a simple series of yoga or Pilates movements, or download the Sworkit app and put it under your doc cam and do a little classroom video workout. (If only they had a zumba app, you could really have some fun!)
11.) Categories: Call out a category and have your students stand up and clap their hands, say an answer in that category and then point to someone new. They name as many items in that category as they can. See how many nouns or verbs or prime numbers they can get in a row before someone misses a beat.
12.) Fact-Family Relays: Write two parts of a fact family on the board. Break the kids into groups and have one member come up to the board and complete that fact family, then write two parts of another fact family. Have them then pass a baton (a ruler or pencil) onto the next member of their group, who will solve the next fact family. The winning team will get to write the first problem for the next relay race!
13.) Implement a Movement Policy: Make it your classroom policy that kids move when they learn. So when they go to the drinking fountain, they touch the ground after every step. When they sharpen their pencils, they reach toward the ceiling with every step. Whenever they answer a question, they stand up. On the way to the restroom, they do lunges. Before lunch, the whole class does a few Pilates moves.
14.) Ball-Toss Spelling: Call out a spelling word, then toss one of your students a rubber-band balland have them call out the first letter in the word, then toss the ball to another student, who should call out the second letter. … Continue until all of your spelling words have been practiced.
15.) Board games are a great way to engage and motivate your students as they review content. To incorporate movement during the board game, add spaces that require students to do 10 pushups or 10 jumping jacks. Not only are students learning, they also are exercising while they are in social studies or math class. Your PE teachers will love you!!
Put the directions on the back of the laminated board game you have created and simply hand out the game. Instruct students to read the directions and get started. In fact you could have your students make the game boards at the beginning of the year.
16.) What’s Your Response?
Try these prompts to get students engaged and moving during question-and-answer time:
- If you agree with this statement, point to the ceiling.
- If you disagree with this statement, pound on your desk.
- If you agree with this statement, stand up and switch seats with someone.
17.) Snowball is a great strategy to keep the students attention and still working on the task at hand. Write a test review question on a piece of paper, wad it into a paper ball, and toss it to a student who opens the paper, responds to the question and tosses it back.