Exercise does not just influence the ability to learn in kids, exercise is education! Back in June, the JumpBunch team had the opportunity at our annual conference to hear from Rae Pica, an expert in the field of child development. Her message not only reaffirmed that exercise and movement is important, it raised it to an entirely different level of significance. "Movement feeds the brain" was one of her statement, and this has been scientifically proven. The mind comes alive with movement and is primed for learning to begin. So, the classes like JumpBunch offers sets the stage for kids to learn by igniting their brain in preparation for learning.
As significant as that alone is, structured classes and carefully constructed curriculum help tie exercise/movement and learning together to maximize the mutual fitness/education benefits. Sadly, the trend is for the physical part of education to often be sacrificed as the most expendable. However, the wisest educators are the ones that view the physical movement side as an invaluable component of the learning process. Consider the examples below that demonstrate so clearly that fitness (and learning) is fun!
Art and Movement:
-motor skills and eye/hand coordination
-self-expression
-concepts of shape, size, lines
Language/Reading/Writing and Movement:
-listening skills
-rhythm
-word comprehension (action words, descriptive words, positional words, suffixes, opposites)
-hand/finger activities
Math and Movement:
-quantitative concepts (big/little, middle, high/low, together, pair, same length, first/last, etc.)
-number awareness and recognition
-counting and simple computation
-simple geometry (circles, squares, rectangles, etc)
Science and Movement:
-exploration and investigation
-problem solving and discovery
-human body ideas (nutrition, hygiene, senses)
-seasons and weather concepts
-role of animals and plants and natural wonders
Exercise and movement are education and not just a possible positive influence on it. Get kids moving and they start learning!
If you wish to learn more about Rae Pica and the great work she does, please visit raepica.com
