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Integrating Movement into Your Math Lessons

Math & Movement Presentation, February 24, 2021

Suzy Koontz, Math & Movement Founder and CEO

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MY GOAL IS TO SET STUDENTS ON A PATH TOWARDS EXCELLENT HEALTH AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS

Suzy Koontz

An associate of the Society of Actuaries
An author of over 15 books for adults and children
Founder and CEO of Learn Thru Movement, Inc. / Math & Movement and Hop Into Literacy
Founding board member of the non-profit, �the National Math Foundation

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WE WOULD LOVE TO SHARE THE MATH & MOVEMENT TRAINING MANUAL WITH YOU

Follow the link in the chat box to get a free copy of the Math & Movement Training Manual ebook!

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TODAY’S OBJECTIVES

Share strategies to immediately implement physical activity into math class.
Practice using movement to reinforce content standards in math.
Share strategies for including physical activity into the virtual classroom and for increasing parental engagement.

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BRAIN CHECK!

HOW DOES YOUR BRAIN FEEL RIGHT NOW?

Put your answer in the chat box!

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WHAT IS MATH & MOVEMENT?

Math & Movement is a kinesthetic, multi-sensory approach to teaching math that incorporates physical exercise, stretching, cross-body movements, yoga, and visually-pleasing floor mats designed to encourage student

to practice math.

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ACTIVE MATH MOVEMENTS

COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAM

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FLOOR MATS OR DECALS

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Intentional, Rigorous Math Practice and Physical Activity Integrated into Online Instruction

Active Math Movements
Active Math Skip Counting
Sit Down Math
Tapping At the Table
Hallway Math
Math n’ Yoga

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Let’s Get Comfortable Moving!

The Elephant March

Reach both arms out in front of your body, palms facing each other, thumbs up.
Turn your hands down, interlock your fingers, and scoop like an ice cream cone to create the elephant trunk.
Cross right foot over left. Whisper, “one.”
Cross left foot over right. Whisper, “two.”
Raise your elephant’s trunk and say, “THREE!”

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THE BENEFITS OF WHISPER/LOUD COUNTING?

What is whisper/loud counting?
Young students can practice with whisper/loud counting
Boosts skill in one-to-one correspondence.
Infuses multiples in the memory.

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CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

What is the bean pole movement?
Why do we begin and end math-movements with BEAN POLE?
How can you teach BEAN POLE?
Why do we practice the counting beat?

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NINES TWIST

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BRAIN RE-CHECK!

HOW DOES YOUR BRAIN FEEL RIGHT NOW?

Did the movement energize you? Does your brain feel more alert after the exercise?

Put your answer in the chat box!

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SKYSCRAPER

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Tapping At The Table

Include cross-body movements while students are sitting at their desk!

This movement is called Criss-Cross Fours!

Benefits of Cross-Body Movements!

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Criss Cross 4s

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TRAINING STUDENTS TO INVENT THEIR OWN MATH-MOVEMENTS!

Determine the multiple!

Create a clever name!

Be creative!

Let’s use the criss-cross 4’s movement to begin! Modify this movement!

Cross right hand across desk, whisper 1.

Cross left hand across desk, whisper 2.

Cross right hand across body and touch left shoulder, whisper 3.

Cross left hand across body and touch right shoulder, whisper 4.

Raise both hands above your head, whisper 5.

Clap and say 6!

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Sit Down Math

Students sit on the floor engaging in intentional math practice and cross-body movements.
Include during a morning meeting. (classroom)
Occupies children during car rides, at the dinner table or while waiting. (home)

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Gorilla Leg Lifts

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Increase Learning Time: Hop in the Hallway!

Transitioning In the Hallway (Around the Home)!

Use the Hallway Math Activities

Sensory Pathways

Learning Hallways

Combine Learning Math and Reading with the Sensory Paths!

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Cat Scratch

Cat Scratch by 3s:

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Chalk Masterpieces

Encourage parents and students to draw chalk masterpieces in their basement or sidewalk!

Solve problems using their chalk drawings!

Take pictures of their masterpiece and share with class.

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Skip Counting by 3s Success Story-Intervention

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Hundred Number Grid

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Let’s look at some research...

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THE LINK BETWEEN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND BRAIN ACTIVITY

The images are a composite scan of 20 students’ brains taking the identical test. The top image is the brain activity from students who sat quietly prior to the test. The bottom image is from students who were physically active prior to the test. The images show their brains were more active, as well!

-Dr. Chuck Hillman, University of Illinois

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EXERCISE AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION STUDY

40 adults were divided into two groups
One group’s creativity was measured before and after exercise
Another group’s creativity was measured before and after sitting on a couch watching TV.
Study showed that 35 minutes of exercise leads to increased cognitive flexibility.
Cognitive flexibility is our ability to switch our attention and create creative responses.

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“A notable experiment in 2007 showed that cognitive flexibility improves after just one thirty-five-minute treadmill session at either 60 or 70 percent of maximum heart rate. The forty adults in the study were asked to rattle off alternative uses for objects, like a newspaper - it’s meant for reading, but it can be used to wrap fish, line a birdcage, pack dishes and so forth. Half of them watched a movie and the other half exercised, and they were tested before the session, immediately after, and again twenty minutes later. The movie watchers showed no change, but the runners improved their processing speed and cognitive flexibility after just one workout. Cognitive flexibility is an important executive function that reflects our ability to shift thinking and to produce a steady flow of creative thoughts and answers as opposed to a regurgitation of the usual responses”. (Ratey, p. 54)

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I cannot underestimate how important regular exercise is in improving the function and performance of the brain. Exercise stimulates our gray matter to produce ‘Miracle-Gro’ for the brain.‛ This refers to the brain chemical BDNF (brain-derived-neurotropic factor). Exercise stimulates the brain to produce extra BDNF which is used to enhance the development of new neurons (and their connections).

Dr. John Ratey

Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain

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Stressed Brains Need Exercise to Increase BDNF

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B

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cortisol

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Scholarship Application in Follow-Up Email!

SCHOLARSHIPS TO JOIN OUR TRAUMA & LEARNING VIRTUAL TRAINING Begins February 25, 4:30PM EST

Trauma and Its Effects on Students
How Toxic Stress Damages the Brain
How and Why Kinesthetic Learning Benefits All Students
The Role of the Educator in Supporting Students with ACEs
Literacy: Practical Strategies to Counteract the Ill-Effects of ACEs and Toxic Stress
Math: Practical Techniques to Attenuate the Damage of ACEs and Toxic Stress

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Numerous Benefits

Increase student confidence and test scores.
Boost student health and memory recognition.
Help students grow their brains through daily movement.
Did you know that a great way to decrease flu-related absences in schools is to add movement to the school day?

Actively moving for just 6 minutes increases immune cell function by 60%.

Healthy students are less likely to miss class.

Increase their opportunities for learning and social-emotional development.

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WE WOULD LOVE TO SHARE THE MATH & MOVEMENT TRAINING MANUAL WITH YOU

Follow the link in the chat box to get a free copy of the Math & Movement Training Manual ebook!

Learn more about the book and our other materials at www.mathmadefun.com.

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THANK YOU!

Any questions? info@mathandmovement.com

www.mathandmovement.com

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Bonus Materials

More Movement-Based Learning Materials

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Family Engagement

FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

LEARNING HALLWAYS

FOR MATH AND ELA

TEACHER MATERIALS

AND TRAINING

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Math & Movement Family Fun Nights

Increase Parental Engagement
Boost Student Confidence
Can be focused as STEAM/STEM Nights
Provide Two Hours of Professional Development For Teachers

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Learning Hallways - Math

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Jump And Learn Outside!

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Jump And Learn Outside

Improves mental sharpness
Develops connections between left and right hemispheres of your brain
Enhances spatial awareness
Improves reading skills
Increases memory
Increases mental alertness

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Jumping Nourishes Brain Cells

Jumping increases heart rate which pumps more oxygen to the brain!
Jumping outside increases oxygen intake.
After jumping outside, students’ brain are ready to focus

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Wall Stickers

Affirmations

Stair Risers

Desktop Stickers

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Affirmations on the Ceiling

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Affirmations in the Bathroom

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More Ideas for Kinesthetic Learning!

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Telling Time

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Equivalent Fractions

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Multiplication

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Least Common Multiple (Grades 4-5)

What is the least common multiple of 6 and 8?

Have two students step on the mat. One walks on the row of multiples of 6 and the other on the row of multiples of 8.

What is the first number that both rows have in common?

This is the least common multiple. In this case, it is 24.

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Cartesian Coordinate

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PARTNER BATTLESHIP

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