Tips for Parents and Educators

Many studies indicate learning improves by creating new brain pathways. To encourage development of new pathways, incorporate a movement exercise and energize your students, as well as yourself by making it a goal to move every 90-120 minutes throughout the day.

Here is an easy energizer activity for grade levels 2-5 which begins with students standing at their desks.

Directions:
Teacher calls out the following sports skills to mimic for at least 10-15 seconds:

• Shooting a jump shot
• Running through tires
• Batting a baseball
• Serving a tennis ball
• Downhill skiing
• Spiking a volleyball
• Swinging a golf club
• Throwing a football
• Juggling a soccer ball
• Shooting an arrow
• Swimming underwater
• Fielding a groundball and throwing to first base
• Dunking a basketball

 Variations: Teacher can also integrate skills into word problems and have students repeat the number he or she calls out. Here is an example:

·         If Brian made 5 jump shots (student acts out) and 2 went in the basket, how many did he miss: (3)
·         If Teresa hit 2 homeruns (student acts out), how many bases would she have to touch? (8)

Include small movements every 30 minutes in the school day. These movements are motions that can be done in your chair.

Large movements are encouraged every 90 minutes in the classroom. Large movements involve getting up from your chair.

Recovery and relaxation are just as important as movement. <Learn more about recovery and relaxation here>

Do you have an energizer activity that you use in your classroom and want to share? Please send a description of your activity to Nicole, ndclark@sjrmc.net or Sandi, sgrunwaldt@sjrmc.net and we will include it in our newsletter.