Standards that are brain breaks? Is that an oxymoron? I know that many of you are under pressure to utilize instructional time. But, what if the children aren't paying any attention to you? What's the point of trying to teach them? Here are some ideas to help children MOVE and LEARN.
Jump - Jump as you read the words on the word wall, count to 100, and repeat other information.
*Children can also march or do other movements as they repeat skills.
Top to Bottom Math - Put your hands in the air and say a number. Touch your head and say "plus." Touch your waist and say a second number. Touch knees and say "equal." Touch toes and say the sum.
*Adapt this for subtraction, multiplication, and other math facts.
Phonercise - Put your hands in the air and say the letter "A." Put your hands on your shoulders and make the /a/ sound. Touch your toes and say a word that starts with that sound. Continue going through the alphabet.
*Ask older children to say words that are nouns, verbs, or other parts of speech.
Stand Up - Simply asking the children to stand up gets blood going to the brain. They can stand up when they read, count, or review other information.
Air Writing - Ask children to make numerals, shapes, letters, or write words in the air with their "magic" finger.
Foot Writing - Use feet to write words, letters, answers to math facts, etc.
Pantomime - Have children stand and dramatize spelling words or vocabulary words.
CROSS LATERAL
Draw a line from your forehead down the middle of your body. That’s called your midline. The brain is made up of two hemispheres and when you cross that midline it helps both hemispheres of the brain work together. Here are some exercises for crossing the midline that are perfect between content areas or before moving to new learning activities.
Hint! Place a piece of painter's tape down the children's midline so they can visually see how they cross it as you exercise and learn.
*Spell the letters in words and then fold hands and bow as you say the word.
Patty Cake - Face partners. Clap, cross hands, tap and say a letter. Clap, cross hands, tap and make the sound of that letter.
*Patty cake skip count.
*Patty cake spelling words. Clap and say the word. Cross and tap as you spell out the word. High five in the air and say the word.
See, this isn't so hard. What can you add to the list?
