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Digital tools are a standard in US elementary schools, used for everything from interactive whiteboards to online assessments. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 88% of public schools provided each student with a device (such as a laptop or a tablet) for the 2024-25 school year.
While tech has created a whole new era of education, educators aren’t hesitant to point out the downsides. In fact, over half of school leaders reported that student cell phone use had negative impacts on academic performance.
So how can educators actively engage their classrooms while minimizing the hidden toll of screen time for elementary students? The answer lies in kinesthetic learning – a powerful antidote to digital distractions.
Kinesthetic learning strategies involve physical activity and hands-on interaction to understand new information. Instead of passively scrolling, students are mobilized, literally moving through lessons in a state of active engagement. Through these methods, schools can reclaim students’ focus, emotional well-being, and deep learning potential.
In this article, we’ll explore why kinesthetic learning matters and why shifting toward less screen time at school benefits classrooms academically and physically. You’ll also find practical solutions for less screen time at school, rooted in movement-based habits that reenergize students and promote classroom engagement.
In a 2025 EdWeek Research Center survey, more than half of educators said that off-task behavior on laptops, tablets, or desktops is a significant source of distraction. The NCES reports that 86% of public elementary schools prohibit cell phone use during class – a clear sign that school leaders are responding to these concerns.
In the same EdWeek survey, 27% of educators said that 1-to-1 computing environments (where each student has their own device) have negatively impacted classroom management. While digital learning platforms offer numerous advantages, like personalized learning, many educators say that they ultimately reduce focus and increase difficulty in engaging with students.
“I feel that, while 1:1 computing has been helpful for my classroom, students are spending A LOT of time on computers at school and home, which causes them to become bored and act out. I've noticed a lot of regression with focus and creativity since 1:1 computing became required in the classroom,” said one Illinois elementary school teacher for Education Week.
The issue isn’t digital learning itself; it’s how screen time in schools is being managed. New research is revealing how excessive screen time affects student development.
Screen time for elementary students is linked to educational and developmental challenges, many of which can be addressed by shifting toward active engagement in the classroom.
The evidence showing a negative correlation between screen time and academic performance is profound. A landmark meta-analysis in JAMA Pediatrics found that children who spend more time watching television or playing video games tend to perform worse academically, especially in math and literacy.
A longitudinal study from PLOS ONE followed over 1,200 children and discovered that just two hours of watching TV per day at ages 8-9 predicted a 12-point drop in reading scores two years later. Using a computer for more than one hour a day predicted a similar 12-point decrease in math performance.
Furthermore, a 2025 European Commission NESET report further confirmed that passive, non-educational screen use correlates with poorer literacy, numeracy, and executive functioning. It also connected high screen time with disrupted sleep, emotional challenges, and changes in brain development that directly impacted academic performance.
Another 2023 study linked high screen time, especially involving media multitasking, with worse development of executive functioning. In the classroom, this may look like difficulty following directions, staying on task, and managing emotions, which can easily lead to poorer academic performance.
Screens deliver fast-paced, high-stimulation content that our brains process as exciting and rewarding. Young children with high screen time come to expect that kind of sensory input. Consequently, traditional classrooms are dull, slow, and boring to children by comparison, making it more challenging to focus and stay engaged.
The NCES indicated that 73% of school leaders believe cell phone use has negatively impacted students’ attention spans. Additional research by Horowitz-Kraus found that just the presence of a smartphone can make a child’s brain activity resemble that of someone with attention challenges, reducing their ability to concentrate and retain new material.
More than two-thirds (72%) of school leaders reported to the NCES that cell phone use has negatively impacted student mental health. Concerns about anxiety, depression, and emotional regulation are rising. In school, these issues can manifest as classroom disruptions, disengagement, or chronic absenteeism.
Excessive screen time has been linked to overloaded working memory, which hinders information processing and learning. Because frequent and prolonged screen time depletes cognitive resources, attention and comprehension decrease.
Finally, researchers have also found brain structure changes in young children exposed to high amounts of screen time at ages 3-5. Changes included decreased organization in areas of the brain that deal with attention, visual processing, and language processing.
It’s clear that excessive screen time for elementary students is causing numerous disruptions and setbacks. We also must consider the effects of a sedentary lifestyle that is often associated with tech use, as well as how screen fatigue affects our students’ overall well-being.
However, there is a solution. By shifting toward kinesthetic learning methods, we can combat some of the negative impacts of digital distractions and encourage active engagement in the classroom.
Schools around the country are turning to kinesthetic learning methods to boost classroom engagement, academic achievement, and overall student well-being.
Kinesthetic learning, also known as movement-based learning, involves using physical activity or interaction to teach new concepts. Students with a kinesthetic learning style learn best through movement, touch, and manipulation of objects. These learning strategies involve active participation in which students engage both their minds and bodies to comprehend new information.
This approach taps into how children are naturally wired to learn: by doing. When students physically interact with concepts, whether it’s hopping on number lines or building models, they activate more areas of the brain and retain concepts more effectively.
Kinesthetic learners prefer to be an active participant when learning, rather than passively watching a video or listening to a lecture. They may struggle to sit still and pay attention during long lessons. This does not mean they are inattentive, but rather that they do not effectively process information when orally presented. Engaging with these students is best done through hands-on activities.
For children especially, movement is more than a preference; It’s a biological need. Our bodies have an inherent, neurologically driven impulse to move, sometimes referred to as the “Fidget Factor”. Small movements, including fidgeting, keep the brain alert and engaged so that it can process new information.
Suppressing this natural drive for physical movement can lead to frustration, restlessness, disruptive behavior, and reduced classroom engagement. When educators embrace kinesthetic strategies, they are engaging with students on a deeper level and supporting the full development of attention, memory, and problem-solving skills.
Learning through tactile senses is not a brand-new idea. Historically, educators have used kinesthetic strategies like role-playing, conducting science experiments, and visiting museums to bring lessons to life. Today, even more tools and techniques are available for modern classrooms.
Here are some new approaches to bring kinesthetic learning to your classroom and reduce screen time in school:
On average, elementary students sit for 8.5 hours every day. Brief exercise breaks have excellent physical and mental benefits.
A 2024 study found that short, frequent walking or bodyweight squat breaks throughout an 8.5 period of sitting improved blood sugar regulation better than a single 30-minute walk. Additionally, a 2015 study found that short physical activity breaks in the classroom improve student behavior, especially for younger elementary-aged students.
Educators can reap these benefits for their students by incorporating active math movements throughout the school day.
Movement isn't just for recess
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Related Reading: Exercise Snacks for Kids: Increase Physical Activity in Schools
Math & Movement makes kinesthetic learning feasible for every classroom. With activities and educational materials that supplement a school’s existing curriculum, our program marries physical activity and standards-aligned instruction.
Students can engage in full-body learning by hopping on our floor mats and stickers while exploring foundational math and literacy concepts. These movement-based activities offer a multi-sensory approach to learning and a practical solution for less screen time at school.
Ready to bring movement-based learning to your core subjects? Discover our Math and Literacy Kits, designed to ignite engagement and boost student achievement.
Our kits supplement your curriculum and provide comprehensive resources for:
Kinesthetic learning offers a research-based way to address many issues brought up by excessive screen time for elementary students. Movement prepares the brain for learning and strongly supports student growth, well-being, and academic success.
Physical activity is linked to stronger cognitive outcomes. One meta-analysis found that sedentary behavior was associated with lower scores in executive functions, including inhibition, planning abilities, and cognitive flexibility. These are the mental processes that allow students to concentrate, stay organized, adapt to new situations, and solve problems. With more movement during the school day, we can ensure that students develop these cognitive skills vital for academic success.
Kinesthetic learning also results in better retention of lessons. Research from the National Training Laboratories indicates learners 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.
There are clear neurobiological reasons why kinesthetic learning is important.
Physical activity increases blood flow to the brain, which delivers oxygen and essential nutrients that optimize cognitive function. This improved cerebral circulation is beneficial for the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain responsible for thinking, comprehension, memory, language, computation, and judgment.
Furthermore, physical activity supports neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to build and strengthen neural connections. It does so by triggering the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that helps develop neural pathways. Simply put, movement primes the brain to absorb and process new information.
Movement also encourages the growth of the hippocampus, an area of the brain responsible for learning and memory.
One of the greatest advantages of kinesthetic learning is how it makes abstract ideas more concrete. When students can represent what they’re learning physically, they offload pressure from working memory. External representations, such as bodily movements or manipulatives, decrease cognitive load and make room for deeper understanding.
Engaging with students in this way also supports self-regulation. Movement provides a constructive outlet for excess energy, especially for students who struggle with focus or behavioral control. Hands-on activities offer immediate feedback, helping students develop persistence, problem-solving skills, and confidence.
On a neurochemical level, physical activity reduces levels of cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone. It also increases dopamine, a neurotransmitter vital for motivation, focus, attention, and memory. This improves mood and creates an all-around better environment for active engagement in the classroom.
A 2017 study found that integrating physical activity into math instruction significantly increased students’ enjoyment and engagement – without compromising the quality of learning.
On top of that, a 2023 large-population study by the National Math Foundation revealed a highly significant relationship between the type of classroom activities and the level of student engagement.
This study followed 492 students in grades 3-5 as they participated in an 8-week math intervention. The intervention focused on incorporating Math & Movement’s kinesthetic learning strategies into multiplication lessons. Teachers continued to use traditional teaching activities, including whiteboard work, flashcards, and worksheets, along with the new movement-based activities.
At the end of the intervention, kinesthetic learning activities resulted in greater levels of student engagement compared to traditional activities.
For school leaders aiming to increase classroom engagement and academic resilience, incorporating movement into the school day is an investment in whole-child development.
In today’s classrooms, where technology is deeply embedded into instruction, the goal is to strike a healthy balance between screen time in schools and kinesthetic approaches. When used intentionally, digital platforms can enhance learning. But when they dominate the school day without meaningful movement or offline engagement, the risks to student focus, well-being, and development increase.
Educators can boost classroom engagement by collaborating digital activities with tactile ones. For instance, start with digital research that leads to making physical posters.
Designate media-free zones in your school to further reinforce balance. Spaces dedicated to physical activities, like a classroom full of Math & Movement floor mats and learning stations, give students consistent opportunities to learn without screen time.
Ultimately, kinesthetic learning acts as a powerful antidote to digital distraction. It reawakens the brain’s natural learning mechanisms and cultivates deep, lasting comprehension. It also builds emotional resilience and supports classroom engagement in ways that screen time alone simply cannot.
This is why kinesthetic learning is important: It creates the conditions necessary for students to thrive academically, even in a digitally saturated world. When we prioritize multi-sensory, active engagement in the classroom, we prepare students to be well-rounded, resilient learners who are more than just tech-savvy.
At Math & Movement, our mission is to support educators in bringing this vision to life. Our Whole School Kits are a solution for less screen time at school, as they allow educators to add movement into their existing lessons with minimal prep.
Engaging with your students can be as simple as hopping on a number line. Create a balanced learning environment with a kit for your classrooms today.
Active participation fosters classroom engagement. Movement-based strategies like kinesthetic learning help students focus, retain information, and stay motivated. Incorporating hands-on activities, regular movement breaks, and screen-free learning zones creates a balanced environment where students are physically and mentally involved. When students learn by doing, engagement naturally follows.
To promote active engagement in the classroom, incorporate kinesthetic learning into instruction. With kinesthetic learning strategies, students use movement and hands-on interaction to comprehend new information. Short movement breaks throughout the school day can boost focus, behavior, and retention, especially for younger students.
Balance screen time with tactile activities, like building models or using Math & Movement floor mats to solve math problems. Let students physically interact with lessons to reduce cognitive load and improve memory. These methods allow students to learn with their full bodies, which increases engagement, rather than forcing students to sit still during traditional, sedentary lessons.
Kinesthetic learning offers a research-based way to address many issues brought up by excessive screen time for elementary students. Movement prepares the brain for learning and strongly supports student growth, well-being, and academic success. Some of the benefits of participation in regular kinesthetic learning activities include:
Excessive screen time can negatively impact academic performance, attention span, mental health, and brain development in young children. It’s linked to lower test scores, reduced focus, and increased anxiety. High screen use also contributes to physical inactivity, which can further hinder learning and well-being. Balancing screen time with movement-based learning helps counter these effects and supports healthier, more engaged students.
Reducing screen time in schools supports better focus, mental health, and academic performance. It helps prevent attention issues, improves sleep, and reduces stress. When paired with kinesthetic learning, less screen time also leads to greater classroom engagement, stronger memory retention, and healthier physical and cognitive development.
Start by balancing digital lessons with movement-based, hands-on activities like kinesthetic math or literacy exercises. Incorporate regular movement breaks, create media-free zones, and pair online tasks with offline follow-ups, such as turning digital research into physical projects. These strategies keep students actively engaged while naturally limiting unnecessary screen use.
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!
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