Math & Movement Blog - Posts for Educators and Parents

18Sep 2019 by suzy123 No Comments

Why Kinesthetic Professional Development Workshops Will Have Your Teachers Jumping for Joy

Why Kinesthetic Professional Development Workshops Will Have Your Teachers Jumping for Joy Professional development keeps teachers up-to-date on the latest science-backed pedagogical methods, increases their content knowledge, and allows them to strengthen relationships with their coworkers. Unfortunately, many teachers consider most professional development irrelevant, outdated, and uninspiring. According to the Gates Foundation, only 29% of teachers are highly satisfied with the professional development opportunities offered to them (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2014). Luckily, you can change their attitudes by addressing a few important factors. Here are five ways professional development workshops which teach kinesthetic learning strategies can address your teachers’ concerns and meet their professional learning goals! 1. Innovation. Many teachers are looking for new strategies that will engage their students, make learning fun, and be more inclusive to…

01Sep 2019 by suzy123 No Comments

How to Cure the Post-Summer Blues

Blog

How to Cure the Post-Summer Blues Hooray! The school year has just begun (or is just about to begin, depending on where you are located). Students might still be in summer mode and not excited to start learning again. But have no fear! Math & Movement is here to help you combat the post-summer blues and make your lessons full of learning and fun! Morning Meeting Start the day right by telling your students what they have to look forward to. A daily morning meeting will provide students with a designated time to wake up their brains, say what they need to say, and start moving a little. One activity you could incorporate into your morning meeting could be a simple game of catch. The twist is that students have…

01Aug 2019 by suzy123 No Comments

Classroom Goal Setting Guide

Blog

Classroom Goal Setting Guide You probably have goals in your personal life. Maybe it’s saving for that car you really want or learning a new language. But, have you ever set goals for inside your classroom? Or, have you ever asked your students what they want to achieve during the academic year? Goal setting is such an important skill because it helps individuals grow. Why not teach your students at a young age how to create achievable goals for themselves? The Three C’s of Goal Setting There are many components to effective goal setting, but the simple way is to follow the Three C’s of Goal Setting (Pauley). The Three C’s of Goal Setting include clarity, consistency, and commitment. Clarity means defining your goal with specific details and a measurable…

01Jul 2019 by suzy123 No Comments

3 Fun Ways to Keep Your Kids School-Ready This Summer!

Activities, Blog

3 Fun Ways to Keep Your Kids School-Ready This Summer! As summer starts to swing into full gear, it’s important to not lose sight of all the hard work students put into their education for the last nine months during the school year. While summer is a time of fun and celebrations, it should also incorporate educational elements that prevent students from losing their math skills. During the summer, students lose an average of 2.6 months worth of math learning (Shafer). By incorporating some of the following suggestions into the hustle and bustle of summer, students will be better off when they return to school in the fall. Hopscotch Who doesn’t love an old fashioned game of hopscotch? It’s perfect for sunny days when kids want to get outside and…

04Jun 2019 by suzy123 1 Comment

Seven Classroom Updates for Creating a Growth Mindset Environment

Blog

SEVEN CLASSROOM UPDATES FOR CREATING A GROWTH MINDSET ENVIRONMENT What Does It Mean to Have a Growth Mindset?Abilities and intelligence can be developed. This is the foundation for a growth mindset. Although the idea seems simple and straightforward, a surprisingly large number of adults and young students do not think this way. Many students see their intelligence as a fixed part of who they are. No matter how hard they study or how hard they challenge themselves they will always be “x” amount smart. This mentality limits a person’s self-esteem, confidence, work ethic, and actual ability to perform tasks effectively and meaningfully.This mindset is even more tragic for young students who are just beginning to explore the world, come face-to-face with new challenges, and discover new ideas. A fixed mindset…

29Apr 2019 by suzy123 No Comments

Math Materials for Anxious Third, Fourth, or Fifth Graders

Blog

MATH MATERIALS FOR ANXIOUS THIRD, FOURTH, OR FIFTH GRADERS How to Get Rid of the Math Monster Under the Bed All too often, when third, fourth, and fifth grade students hear the word “math,” their smiling faces drop. Math can be a tricky subject. Many adults can't escape the math phobia that started in grade school, even though math is something that we all use every day! Most math lessons have individualized worksheets and standardized testing, resulting in great anxiety among students, especially among those who are already struggling to learn. One way to combat this is by using fun and effective math materials. Teachers can adopt multi-sensory teaching strategies to engage students and bring enjoyment into the process of learning math! Math & Movement provides various tools to easily…

29Mar 2019 by suzy123 No Comments

Fifth Grade Students Discover New Ways to Multiply

Blog

Fifth Grade Students Discover New Ways to Multiply Insights into introducing Math & Movement to a new class by Katja Krieger In 2018, I began my career in education as a fifth-grade student teacher. As the months went by, I noticed my students grow increasingly frustrated when it came time for math class. My school had recently adopted ‘Singapore Math’ as the chosen curriculum for grades K-6th. With any new teaching method, there can be challenges and benefits. However, switching to a new curriculum is not always the solution when it comes to student achievement and satisfaction. Singapore Math emphasizes fewer steps and more pictures and symbols to solve problems. Math class is transformed into three different stations. The students start with station 1, where they had a private lesson…

28Feb 2019 by suzy123 No Comments

Math & Movement Partners with Active Schools

Blog

Math & Movement Partners with Active Schools Math & Movement has recently partnered with Active Schools, an organization dedicated to helping schools increase physical activity before, during, and after the school day. According to Active Schools, "Only 6 states require physical education in every grade. Only 20% of school districts require daily recess. 2 out of 3 kids today are inactive." The harsh reality of today's generation is that children are not getting as much physical activity as they need. Schools are struggling to provide opportunities to get kids active during school hours. Active Schools and Math & Movement believe adding exercise for students should be high on every school's to-do list, but understand the challenges they face in making it happen. Did you know that the Physical Activity Guidelines for…

06Feb 2019 by Emma Koontz No Comments

Cross-Body Movements

Blog

Cross-Body Movements What are they and how can they help increase student focus and retention? Educators are always on the lookout for the perfect teaching tool that will help their students remember yesterday’s lesson, improve motor skills, stay focused, and help rein in their student’s energy. Cross-body movements are fun strategies to reach these goals. Cross-body movements engage both hemispheres of the brain. Many scientists like to think of the brain as a blender. In order to digest information, we blend it up. When both the left and right hemispheres are used, the easier it is to remember the digested information. One of the easiest ways to engage both hemispheres of the brain is to cross the midline in our bodies. Picture an imaginary line that runs from our nose to the floor.…

08Jan 2019 by suzy123 No Comments

Multi-Sensory Learning Creates Successful Students

Blog

Students in classes with multi-sensory learning are 1.51 times more likely to succeed than students in traditional lecture-based classes. Studies show that students are more likely to have success in education when they are introduced to multi-sensory learning at a young age. Based on this research and our own findings, we know that kinesthetic, multi-sensory learning strengthens learning, improves memory, and enhances motivation! Strengthens Learning According to Eric Jensen in his book, Teaching with the Brain in Mind (2nd Edition), “Evidence from imaging sources, anatomical studies, and clinical data shows that moderate exercise enhances cognitive processing. It also increases the number of brain cells.” In Syracuse, New York, interventionists helped pre-school students practice one-to-one correspondence and counting using multi-sensory cross-body exercises as well as the colorful floor mats. These students…