Physical Activity & Recess
Overview
Physical activity and recess in early childhood provides social, physical, and mental benefits to learners. Recess, physical education, and short movement breaks in class are ways for learners to exercise, increasing blood flow to the brain and body and improving overall well-being. In addition to improving childrens' Physical Well-being and motor skill development, they support several aspects of cognitive functioning, including language development, flexible thinking, sustained Attention, Self-Regulation and Inhibition, and improvements in social skills, such as Communication, Collaboration, and negotiation. Targeted exercise and movement breaks can also help students who struggle with Sensory Integration, especially those who are “sensory-seekers.”
Example: Use This Strategy in the Classroom
Watch a teacher lead a group of young students through playful physical movement on the playground. Students have choice in which movements to use, while the teacher facilitates to ensure all are playfully engaged in the activity.
Design It into Your Product
Additional Resources
Additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.
Factors Supported by this Strategy
More Multisensory Supports Strategies
Communication boards are displays of graphics (e.g., pictures, symbols, illustrations) and/or words where learners can gesture, touch, or point to the displays to extend their expressive language potential.
Creating visual representations such as drawings, diagrams, graphs, and concept maps, whether student or teacher-generated, can help students process abstract concepts, enhancing understanding and retention of information.
Using motions to explain new concepts or ideas supports the ability to process new information and to convey thinking and conceptual understanding.
Music and dance supports young learners in a myriad of ways, including supporting their engagement and motivation, connecting with cultural background, and offering structure during play.
