If you ask someone to picture “learning in school”, they’ll likely visualize students sitting quietly behind desks, eyes forward, and listening to a teacher at the front of a classroom. While this is a conventional, sedentary scene, it doesn’t reflect how learning truly happens, especially for young elementary students.
Physical movement is foundational to how children engage with the world, process information, and develop critical thinking skills. Active learning goes beyond passively receiving information and focuses on doing. It harnesses children’s natural inclination toward movement to drive deeper understanding and long-term retention.
A growing body of neuroscience research confirms what many educators already observe firsthand: Physical activity and cognitive function are tightly linked. When students move, their brains light up – literally. Physical movement increases blood flow to the brain, supports the release of key neurotransmitters, and improves focus, memory, and mood. These are health benefits and academic advantages.
By embracing active play education in curricula, principals and teachers can meet students’ developmental needs and close achievement gaps. This guide will explore the science behind the benefits of active learning, explain how physical activity supports cognitive growth, and offer practical strategies to bring more movement into the learning process. Discover how kinesthetic strategies can have a significant impact on your students.
Active learning is an educational approach where students do more than just watch and listen. Instead of passively absorbing information, they actively participate in the learning process through movement and hands-on tasks. This intentional interaction with material boosts both understanding and memory.
Research consistently shows that physical activity strengthens cognitive and sensory networks in children’s brains. In addition to that, studies indicate that students retain up to 75% of information when actively participating in a task, compared to only 10% through passive methods like reading or listening to lectures.
At Math & Movement, we’ve seen firsthand how powerful this approach is in elementary classrooms. Active play education, or play-based learning, is essential for children’s health and development. By hopping on number lines or walking on phonics mats, students support their brain development and learn very effectively.
Kinesthetic learning is a specific form of active learning characterized by whole-body movement. It taps into students’ natural need to move and allows them to learn through physical interaction with content.
Kinesthetic learners process information best when they are physically involved in lessons. And while all children benefit from varied teaching strategies, this approach is especially effective for students who are tactile by nature, or those who “learn by doing.”
Whether it’s called active learning, active play education, or kinesthetic learning, the underlying principle remains the same: students learn best when they are participants, not spectators.
The brain is not passive; it constantly organizes inputs, forms new connections, and adapts based on experience. Learning, especially in early education, should reflect that same energy and responsiveness.
The early years of a child’s life lay the foundation for everything that follows. Research shows that approximately 90% of a child’s brain development occurs by the age of five, with the most rapid cognitive growth taking place between ages one and three.
This window of opportunity is incredibly influential. Experiences and interventions during this time can shape not only how a child learns, but how their brain is physically wired to think, solve problems, and adapt throughout life.
Movement has a measurable impact on children’s brains, and the physiological benefits of active learning are proven.
Activities like walking, skipping, running, and dancing elevate heart rate and increase breathing, which in turn boosts blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain. This fuels brain cells with the nutrients they need to function efficiently and supports alertness.
A landmark study by Hillman et al. (2009) found that just 20 minutes of walking improved brain activity and academic performance in children. The immediate effects were measurable on both neuroelectrical activity and test outcomes, reinforcing a direct link between physical activity and cognitive function.
Physical activity also stimulates the release of key neurotransmitters, including dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. These brain chemicals are responsible for regulating mood, focus, and overall brain function.
In other words, when students move, their brains respond with heightened attention and improved emotional regulation, which are extremely helpful for learning.
Dr. John Ratey, author and clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, famously describes exercise as “Miracle-Gro for the brain.” This is because movement also triggers the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports the growth of new neurons and strengthens existing neural pathways.
Beyond immediate boosts to brain chemistry and attention, consistent physical activity contributes to long-term structural changes in the central nervous system. Studies indicate that regular movement enhances white matter integrity, the health and organization of the brain’s nerve fiber connections between regions.
Understanding the physiological impact of movement helps us see its value in the school day and can encourage us to implement it into our existing curriculums.
One priority during a child’s development is the concept of brain plasticity, or the brain’s natural ability to change and adapt in response to experience.
Young children’s brains are especially malleable, meaning their environments and interactions significantly influence how neural pathways form and strengthen. When children are exposed to active learning environments – full of movement, exploration, and sensory engagement – they build rich cognitive networks that support lifelong learning.
In contrast, a lack of physical and cognitive stimulation during early childhood can hinder neural development, delaying academic readiness and long-term success.
Providing young learners with opportunities to move, play, and engage physically with content directly supports cognitive function, particularly in the areas of attention, inhibition, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and vocabulary. All of these abilities contribute to future academic success.
Active learning strategies help strengthen executive functions as well. Executive functions are the brain’s self-management tools, helping children regulate emotions, focus attention, and plan tasks.
Research shows that strong executive function is a more reliable predictor of early academic achievement than age or IQ, particularly in math and literacy. Furthermore, increased participation in physical activity positively influences executive functioning in children.
When students participate in active learning tasks, they’re making choices, solving problems, adapting to new challenges, and learning to regulate themselves in dynamic, collaborative environments. These experiences provide consistent practice with executive functioning in real time and, in turn, support academic achievement.
This practice is especially valuable in early education, when the prefrontal cortex (the brain region responsible for these skills) is undergoing rapid development.
A 2017 study found that structured physical activity programs in preschool-aged children led to significantly greater improvements in executive functions than in peers who received no intervention. Activities that involved movement, social cooperation, and task switching (hallmarks of active learning) were especially beneficial.
All in all, physical activity and cognitive function play off of each other, especially in the developing brains of young children. Movement helps build the very brain structures that make learning possible.
Science tells us that embracing active learning early and often helps students with academic performance, engagement, critical thinking, and emotional development.
Active learning consistently leads to better academic performance across subject areas. Compared to traditional lecture-format classes, students in active learning environments are 1.5 times less likely to fail and earn 54% higher test scores.
On average, course grades improve by half a letter grade when active learning methods are implemented.
In addition, active learning also helps close achievement gaps by supporting diverse learners with varied needs and backgrounds. It provides more equitable learning opportunities by engaging students through multiple sensory and cognitive pathways.
At a subject level, active learning can be particularly helpful for math skills. One 3rd grade class in Sarasota, FL participated in a 2-week movement-based math intervention for multiplication. By the end of the program, the class had an average improvement of over 89% across all multiples. Plus, the achievement gap between students narrowed by over 81%.
Want to head deeper into the research and results behind Math & Movement? Explore our Program Data page to see how schools across the US are transforming student achievement with our kinesthetic learning strategies.
Empirical research shows that students in active learning classes exhibit 13 times more learner talk time and 16 times more non-verbal engagement compared to those in passive lectures. Participation rates rise to 62.7% in active classrooms, in contrast to just 5% during lectures.
A 2023 large-population study by the National Math Foundation found that kinesthetic learning activities resulted in greater levels of student engagement compared to traditional activities. Students used Math & Movement’s learning strategies in multiplication lessons, along with traditional teaching methods, including whiteboard work and flashcards.
This increased engagement enables students to learn more effectively. Engaged students are more focused, motivated, and better able to consolidate new information. Active learning leverages children’s innate curiosity and imagination, turning lessons into stimulating experiences that capture their attention and build intrinsic motivation.
Another benefit of active learning is that it nurtures higher-order thinking skills like analysis, reasoning, and creativity. Children in active learning environments frequently engage in tasks that require them to solve problems, make decisions, and experiment with different approaches.
While much of the conversation around learning focuses on academics, the social-emotional benefits of active learning are equally important, especially in elementary settings.
Active learning frequently incorporates group work and collaborative activities that provide opportunities for students to develop teamwork and communication skills. Students learn to work together, resolve conflicts, share responsibility, and support one another.
Active play education also supports self-regulation, giving children opportunities to manage their attention, control impulses, and respond appropriately to emotional challenges.
Furthermore, physical activity in school has been shown to reduce anxiety, increase resilience, and improve students’ overall well-being. This positive learning environment helps students develop academic and soft skills.
The benefits of active learning make a compelling case for change. For school leaders, the question is no longer if active learning works, but how to make it part of everyday practice.
Implementing active learning requires practical strategies that work with your school’s existing curriculum. Below are hands-on, standards-aligned strategies that bring movement, choice, and joy into lessons, along with links to related materials.
Common Core Standard: K.G.2
Have students crawl along the mat while tracing each shape with their fingers. Have them practice saying the number of sides out loud as they trace. Say the shape name aloud together when they finish tracing.
Common Core Standard: 1.NBT.C.4
2.NBT.B.5
Have students start by standing on number 1. Students will take turns rolling a die and moving that many steps forward. Continue until one player reaches 100.
Common Core Standard: 3.OA.7
Students begin on zero. They will jump forward the number of times 7 is getting multiplied by, only landing on the multiples of 7. The final number they land on will be the answer.
Every Math & Movement product comes with full access to our online activity database, which is filled with hundreds of activities like the ones above.
Keep in mind, one of the benefits of active learning is that it’s flexible. It can take place indoors or outdoors, in classrooms, gyms, hallways, or playgrounds. These tactile and movement-based activities support academic goals and help children meet recommended levels of daily physical activity.
Movement isn't just for recess
Want to get started with movement-based learning right now? Enter your email to get our training manual with over 250 active math movements. No materials necessary!
See how simple adding movement can be!
While research clearly supports the benefits of active learning, integrating it into everyday classroom routines can come with logistical challenges. For educators and administrators, anticipating these barriers and having strategies to address them can make a big difference in a successful school-wide implementation.
Students who are used to passive learning environments may initially resist active engagement. This is especially true for older students or those who have internalized more traditional notions of what “serious learning” looks like. Resistance may stem from unfamiliarity, fear of failure, or discomfort with taking risks in front of peers.
To ease this transition:
Creating an environment where active participation is safe, expected, and encouraged helps students move past resistance and embrace a more interactive learning experience.
One of the most frequently cited concerns among teachers is that active learning takes too much time, leaving less room to cover curriculum content. But active learning improves retention, attention, and comprehension, meaning that teachers often spend less time reteaching concepts that students didn’t passively absorb the first time.
Plus, with supplemental programs like Math & Movement, educators can pair kinesthetic materials and activities with their existing lesson schedule.
Some other practical time management strategies include:
When active learning is framed as a method for deeper, more effective learning, educators and families can see its true value.
The connection between physical activity and cognitive function is well-documented. Active learning is a transformative, research-backed approach that taps into how children’s brains actually learn best.
If you’re looking for practical, flexible ways to implement this approach in your school, Math & Movement is here to support you. Our materials, training sessions, and activities are designed to make movement-based instruction easy to integrate into an existing curriculum.
Take the next step toward building a more engaging, energetic school environment, and watch as your students develop physical, social, and academic skills they’ll carry into the future. Explore our Whole School Kits and other teaching resources to see how your team can harness the power of active learning – one hop at a time.
Active learning is an educational approach where students do more than just watch and listen. Instead of passively absorbing information, they actively participate in the learning process through movement and hands-on tasks. This intentional interaction with material boosts both understanding and memory.
Active learning boosts academic performance, student engagement, retention, and social-emotional skills. It supports brain development, strengthens executive functions, and helps build rich cognitive networks. It’s a research-backed way to help children learn more effectively.
Active learning looks like students moving, talking, and engaging directly with what they’re learning. In an active learning classroom, kids might be jumping on a Math & Movement floor mat to engage with math and literacy concepts. It’s a hands-on, movement-based way of gaining knowledge.
Active learning leads to better academic outcomes because students are doing more than just sitting and listening. They are moving, interacting, and engaging with educational content. Studies indicate that students retain up to 75% of information when actively participating in a task, compared to only 10% through passive methods like reading or listening to lectures.
Physical activity increases blood flow and oxygen in the brain, enhances memory and focus, and stimulates the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin that improve mood and attention. It also promotes the growth of brain cells and strengthens neural connections, making it easier for students to process and retain information.
Doherty, A., & Forés Miravalles, A. (2019). Physical activity and cognition: Inseparable in the classroom. Frontiers in Education, 4, Article 105. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2019.00105
SimpleK12: Kinesthetic Learning Style: Defintion, Characteristics and Benefits in 2025 – March 12, 2025
Suzy Koontz, CEO and Founder of Math & Movement, has spent over 25 years helping students achieve academic success. She has created over 200 kinesthetic teaching tools adopted by schools nationwide and has authored over 20 books. As a sought-after national presenter, Suzy shares how movement can transform the way students learn.
Movement isn't just for recess
Want to get started with movement-based learning right now? Enter your email to get our training manual with over 250 active math movements. No materials necessary!
Please leave your email and a quick note for us. We will get back to you soon! In the meantime, here are answers to some of our most common questions:
Enter your email to get our training manual with over 250 active math movements. No materials necessary!
We never share or sell your data.
