Movement helps us learn

Children are meant to move and be active, it is part of their natural development.  Movement has a purpose, it helps their muscles grow and bodies develop.  Movement leads them to explore their environment and learn through all their senses.  This is the very foundation of all our future learning.

Just because a child can sit still and inhibit their movement, it doesn't mean that they should. Of course as children get older they have to realise that different behaviours are expected in different situations. When you travel in a car it would be dangerous to be jumping around.  On a plane there are other passengers to consider and you should try not to move around. But in a park you are free to move and should do exactly that.

Schools should be mindful of the important role of movement in learning.  As there is pressure for children to achieve academically at a younger and younger age, it is the practical, active learning that seems to be lost. Schools should be the places where children can move and learn in a way that it natural to them.  Children should learn largely by doing and exploring. These experiences are often much more memorable and meaningful than simply being told the information by the teacher or reading it in a book.  As parents we know that some the best learning experiences for our children arise when they are playing, exploring or visiting a new place.

As adults we know there are many skills that can only really be learnt through experience. When we learn to drive we all know that we can not do it by simply reading a book or being told how to do it. Of course we have to know the highway code but we can not learn to drive a car without getting into a car and trying to drive. We also know that it takes practice and we need practical, hands on experiences again and again to master a skill.

Yet both teachers and parents try to by pass these practical, hands on experiences because of the pressures of modern life.  Teachers are under pressure to deliver an overloaded curriculum and are judged by their children's achievement in certain areas.  Very often there isn't time to find interesting objects to look at to trigger discussion, questions and observation.  Instead to save time we use a picture or a video clip and tell the children the answers. As parents, limited time and tiredness mean we let an ipad entertain our children rather than playing a board game with them or encouraging them to use their imagination make something from junk materials.

Having a more active curriculum would have huge benefits for everyone.  Movement is important for all children and but perhaps even more important for children with learning difficulties.  Children with ADHD may be constantly moving and interventions are often focused on controlling the movement. We often think that the movement is distracting and will stop the child from learning. However current research by Michael Kofler suggests that the excessive movement does in fact have a purpose. It is the body's way of trying wake the mind up to be alert and focused enough to learn. Any strategies that we employ should not be about inhibiting the movement but encouraging it. Very often when we ask a child to stay still, they put all their energy into not moving  and as a result they are not able to listen to content of the lesson. If we allow them to move they are actually more likely to listen and participate in the lesson. As a teacher I have observed children who read better when they are allowed to fidget and move than when they are made to sit still.

Movement is particularly necessary for tasks that require working memory, which is known to be a deficit in many children with ADHD (and other learning difficulties).  Studies have shown that more demanding the task in terms of working memory the more movement is observed.  If we want children with ADHD to perform well in school we need to look at ways of incorporating movement into lessons. In my opinion this should be more than allowing the use of fiddles or wobble cushions (which are helpful strategies.)  It should be more about planning activities which allow children move and explore resources and record their understanding in a range of ways. 'Seating arrangements' should be flexible there should be opportunities for children to stand and sit while listening to the teacher or working on tasks.

Again if we think of our adult work lives we naturally find ways of of incorporating movement into our day even if it is just going to make a coffee when we feel our focus waning or asking a colleague in another office a question to take us away from our desk.  Also think about what you would prefer, to listen to art lecture for an hour or go to an art gallery and wander around observing and discussing the paintings with a friend or guide and then maybe using this inspiration to do your own sketch. As adults most of us prefer active learning and we should encourage the same for our children.