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learning in school, such as (a) renewing arousal and improving concentration (e.g.,
Grieco et al., 2011); (b) providing kinesthetic information (e.g., Fulginiti, 2009);
(c) providing demonstration of what is being learned (e.g., Shoval, 2011); (d)
supporting the transfer of intuitive information to formal knowledge (e.g. Zacharia
et al., 2012); (e) practicing the mental image (e.g., Guarnera et al., 2017); (f) serving
as a platform for learning self-regulation (e.g. Williams, 2021); (g) serving as a
platform for creative thinking (e.g., Frith et al., 2019); (h) linking between different
types of intelligence (e.g., Villanueva & De Vera, 2020); and (i) facilitating physical Dr. Theresa Kauffman
and verbal interaction with peers (e.g., Shoval, 2011). is Superintendent/CEO
Due to the brevity of this article, we will explain and present the first two basic of Kauffman Leadership
processes noted above. The article is only a preliminary taste to provoke thought Academy, a private school
in Cleburne, Texas. She
and take a new look at one’s teaching. We hope to include further explanation of the is a member of Alpha
remainder of the processes in future articles. Gamma Chapter of Texas
State Organization and
Renewing Arousal and Improving Concentration serves on the Texas Global
Exercise contributes to increased blood flow and oxygen supply to the brain, Awareness Committee.
increases the brain’s function, and maintains stimulation of the nervous system tkauffman@klacademy.org
(Cacciotti et al., 2015). Using movement while performing a learning task increases
arousal, i.e., the willingness to learn and the level of cognitive function (Singh et
al., 2019). Any change in the level of arousal that occurs because of the change in
movement again draws attention to the cognitive task. The constant renewal prolongs
the time spent in learning. Humphrey (2012), who has written many practical books
on teaching through movement, has argued that in situations where a stimulus is
absent, children turn to look for this arousal elsewhere and abandon the relevant
learning. Movement is a factor that keeps learners in the relevant task.
Bartholomew and Jowers (2011) conducted a study based on an intervention
program, Texas I-CAN! (Initiatives for Children’s Activity and Nutrition),
incorporating physical activity during academic learning in elementary school.
Researchers found that children who participated in classes that incorporated
movement achieved more steps on a pedometer both during and outside of class.
They also found that the group that studied in a more sedentary way started the school
year with approximately 83% of time on verbal task during the lesson session. This
percentage dropped to 72% by the end of the year. In the physically active group,
stay-on-task behaviors initially occurred 86% of the entire lesson time and rose to
89% of the lesson session by the end of the program.
Findings that presented a similar picture were found in a study based on a
program for integrating physical activity into learning called TAKE 10 (Kibbe et
al., 2011). The program is designed to reduce sedentary behaviors of children ages
5–11 in educational settings. In the program, the children are active in a lesson for 10
minutes of medium to vigorous activity that corresponds to the content of the lessons
in the various subjects. The children who participated in the program were 13%
more active compared to the children who studied in regular programs and reduced
their time off task by 20.5% compared to children in regular programs. At the same
time, the children who participated in the program raised their achievement in math,
reading, spelling, and composition.
In a study conducted in the Netherlands in second and third grades, 499 children
in two research groups participated for 2 years (Mullender-Wijnsma et al., 2016).
In the experimental group, the children experienced physical activity in math
and language classes, maintaining intense activity at a medium-high level. In the

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