Benefits of Physical Activity

I want to share with you an interesting article from the Oxford magazine. The tittle is "Hopping into Spring: Benefits of Physical Activity". Research suggests that children who participate in regular physical activity improve their physical health and also benefit psychologically and intellectually. Studies have also concluded that the incorporation of physical activity in class contributes to improved academic performance and, at the same time, establishes a base for social interaction. Additional reasons for making use of physical activities in class: - Appeals to different learners, especially kinesthetic, physical children - Children learn by doing - For very young learners internalising concepts like near, far, left, right, big, small, above, below etc. can be easier and more memorable if combined with physical activities/movement - Helps maintain students’ attention and focus - Provides variety - Develops emotional intelligence (self control, empathy, self knowledge) Some “old time favourites” There are a number of games and activities which involve physical activity which can be used to present, review and practice vocabulary and structures. Here are a few “old time favourites” to try in class: - Mime: mime words or action verbs (other guess the word/action) - Running dictations (instructions: http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/activities/running-dictation) - TPR: Total Physical Response activities (guided drills with commands) - Simon Says - Charades (acting out a sentence; the title of a book or film etc.) - Freeze: as a quick filler, play music and allow the students to dance. When the music stops, they have to freeze in the position they are in. - Fingerplays, clapping games and action rhymes - Brain breaks - Stretching (giving students the opportunity to shake their arms out, stretch etc.). Note: these activities can be carried out during transition periods or when teachers see students are wilting. Challenges teachers face Realistically speaking, with a large number of young learners in class, it is not always easy to carry out physical activities. Oftentimes, due to lack of appropriate classroom management techniques or proper explanation or set up, teachers find that physical activities get ‘out of control’ or too noisy. If teachers lack space in the classroom or find it difficult to manage whole class movement activities they can always opt for ‘quieter’ alternatives such as doing quick brain breaks or stretching. If students are not used to carrying out physical activity in class, introduce activities little by little with clear objectives and expectations in terms of behaviour. Allowing for a little ‘action’ in class might have surprisingly beneficial results. Let us know! Related articles: Shephard, R. J., Volle, M., Lavallee, H., La Barre, R., Jequier, J., and Rajie, M. (1984). Required physical activity and academic grades: A controlled study. In J. Hmarinen and 1. Valimaki (Eds.), Children and Sport (pp.58-63). Verlag, Berlin: Springer. Shephard, R. J., Jequier, J. C., LaBarre, R., and Rajie, M. (1980). Habitual physical activity: Effects of sex, milieu, season, and required activity. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 20, 55-66. Connor-Kuntz & Dummer. (1996). Teaching across the curriculum: language-enriched physical education for preschool children. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, vol. 13, pp. 302-315. Here you have the link: http://www.oxfordmagazine.es/2013/04/01/hopping-into-spring-benefits-of-physical-activity/