Have you ever had days where it seemed like school just ddraaagged on? The children refuse to do a lick of work that would normally take minutes, and so you just make them stay at the table until they are done. What about those days where they just don’t get it, when yesterday they got it no problem, and so you continue to go over and over the same concept? Let me get you in on a little secret! Those frustrating moments, those moments when you just want to get them to do their work, the moments when they just don’t get it, are the moments that call for some movement! And it makes sense when you learn that their attention span is only their age multiplied by 1 until about the age of 5. At around age 5 their attention span increases to about 2-3 times their age. So when they’re just starting school their attention is only about 15 minutes give or take. So how do we accomplish learning with such little time frame ?
As homeschool parents, we’re always looking for ways to enhance our children’s learning experience, we want the best education for them, and while traditional academics are crucial, we often overlook the powerful connection between physical activity and cognitive function. Incorporating movement into your homeschool day can significantly improve your child’s focus, memory, and overall learning.
The science behind movement & learning
- Movement Increases Blood Flow to the Brain: Exercise boosts circulation, delivering oxygen and nutrients to the brain. This enhances cognitive function, improving attention span and memory.
- Stress Reduction: Physical activity triggers the release of endorphins, which have mood-boosting and stress-reducing effects. A happy and relaxed child is more receptive to learning.
- Stimulation of Brain Growth: Studies have shown that exercise can promote the growth of new brain cells and enhance connections between them, leading to improved cognitive abilities.
- Improved Focus and Attention: Movement breaks can help children release pent-up energy, allowing them to refocus and concentrate better on their studies.
- Sensory Regulation: Movement breaks help regulate their sensory input, which helps with sensory processing (less fidgeting and more focus)
As a Homeschool parent you have the unique opportunity & ability to weave in movement into your day beyond “recess” time. This means no matter where you homeschool or how you homeschool, you can include movement into their day whenever there is a need, even if it is not the “scheduled” time! Read this again!
As a Homeschool Parent you have the flexibility to weave in movement into your homeschool day
Sometimes there are obstacles in the way of letting movement happen such as space for example living in an apartment. The weather, if you are like us you know winters can be a hard time, but like stated above you have the flexibility to be, well, flexible! Here are some ideas & ways you can include movement
Take your homeschool outside!
I love taking our school day outside any chance I can get! Prioritizing outside time does not mean neglecting homeschool lessons!
- One thing I do in particular is reading time. While the other children are playing I call them one at a time to do their reading.
- Use chalk for writing or math lessons!
- Skip-Hop math!
- Create scavenger hunts
- Science experiments
- Create obstacle courses
- Create a search in the sandbox (fossils?)
- Recite math combinations to jumping rope.
Chore-based movement
Nothing like killing 2 birds with 1 stone!
- Unloading the dishwasher. You will be shocked This can be done as early as 3 years old. If dishes are in cabinets carefully hand them dishes. For us my 6 or 4 year old stand on the counter while my youngest age 2 hands them the dishes (not glass) the other older child sorts cutlery which can also be done by my 2 year old. (you would be shis reinforces classification skills)
- Vacuuming: Make it a game! Set a timer and challenge your child to vacuum a specific area before it rings. This promotes coordination and spatial awareness. I have recently started asking my 6 year old to vacuume
- Gardening: Planting, weeding, and watering are excellent ways to get kids moving while learning about nature and science. This can be done also as early as 2 years of age
- Putting away laundry: Again we have classification skills.
- Wiping down doors and cabinets: This can be done as early as 2 years.
Make chores a game to keep it fun and offer a small reward such as some hot chocolate while getting back to schoolwork or a nickel for their piggy bank!
Songs & Games
Take a song break is great for not only movement but with the right one can be educational!
- Turn Simon says into counting “Simon says jump 5 times (counting)”
- “Head, shoulders, knees, and toes”
- Action songs: If you speak Russian here is my favorite from a preschool show my kids love!
Building & contstrution
Use building blocks or other materials to create structures! This provides spatial reasoning, fine motor skills, sensory input (play couch), get the jitters out!
- Legos, Duplo, megabloks:
- Play couch to build forts and then read in your little home or an obstacle course!
Make chores a game to keep it fun and offer a small reward such as some hot chocolate while getting back to schoolwork or a nickel for their piggy bank!
Scheduled movement
- Online exercise videos: Our favorite has been from the Good & Beautiful found here. But there are countless exercise videos.
- Check out our “100 moves for 100 days ” exercise page from our 100th day of school.
- Find time to go on a walk in the neighborhood or simply break up the homeschool day and go to the park and finish up afterwards
Scheduling movement breaks can be difficult, especially when we really just want to get the job done, here are a few signs your child needs a movement break:
- Physical signs: fidgeting, constantly shifting positions, either low in energy, or extra energetic, sensory seeking such as excessive touching objects, chewing on pencils, clothing, other objects.
- Difficulty focusing: looking around the room, easily distracted, making more mistakes than usual, difficulty following simple instruction.
- Work Habits: Taking longer than usual to complete tasks, struggling between transitions, increased frustration, more mistakes than usual.
- Emotional signs: Becoming withdrawn, frustration, overwhelm, anxiety, crying, whining.
Being aware of the signs for a movement break, you can proactively incorporate movement breaks into your homeschool routine, helping your child stay focused and engaged in their learning. And as I have mentioned before YOU have the flexibility to be flexible.
Movement breaks do not have to be long and planned out, it can be a simple game of “Simon Says”, a chore, or a transition of them putting their crayons, books, or crafts away.
What are your favorite ways to incorporate movement into your day? What signs do you look for in your child? Share in the comments below and let’s help each other out !