Movement increases blood and oxygen flow to the brain; thus, it positively impacts intellectual development.

In previous articles, I’ve talked about some foundational skills that are necessary for your child to experience learning success.

• The critical relationship between vision and learning.

• The crucial role listening plays in learning.

• Speaking and its role in learning success.

In this article, we are going to look at movement and how it affects learning.

Our bodies were built for movement. That’s why we have joints.

What does movement do to the body?

Three important effects of exercise on the body are:

1. Your heart rate increases
2. More blood is pumped to your organs, tissues and cells
3. More oxygen gets to your body systems because of that increased blood flow.

Since your brain is a part of your body, exercise brings increased oxygen and blood to it also.

What does that mean?

Since studies shows a link between intellectual development and exercise, children need opportunities to move so they can learn better.

During a child’s first years of life the types of movement that come naturally to them build the brain. These include:

• Rolling
• Crawling
• Skipping
• Jumping

Movement is one of the most important learning components of a young child’s life.

New movement and play experiences help the child’s brain to develop and maintain neural (nerve) connections.

When there is limited activity, brain cell connections are lost or pruned away. This is true for children as well as adults.

The nervous system does not mature until somewhere between the ages of 15 to 20, so a variety of active play opportunities are essential throughout your child’s elementary through high school years and even into college to promote further brain growth.

Although it is now known that the brain continues to change throughout the lifespan, one researcher has said that “It is a child’s activity level and active playtime that determines his or her ultimate brain development and the extent of adult capabilities.”

One way of moving that activates the brain is “crossing the mid-line”.

Have you ever played games like…

• “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” and
• “Hokey Pokey”

These are examples of crossing the midlines of the body. I’m sure you can think of quite a few others.

Why are these action songs and the mid-line important for brain development?

The motions to songs like those encourage children to cross all three body mid-lines,

• reaching the top to bottom,
• going from left to right, and
• moving from front to back.

During these action songs the physical movements required demand coordination from both the left and right sides of the brain. The right side of the brain controls the left side of the body and the left side of the brain controls the right side. When one side is forced to interact with the other, this forces the two sides of the brain to communicate.

Between the two halves of the brain there are some tissues that are important for communication from one side of the brain to the other. These movements help to develop and strengthen those neural pathways laying the foundation for further development in language, literacy, and math skills.

By the way, crossing mid-lines can help stimulate brain activity in adults too.

Try this activity now:

• Extend one arm straight in front of you. It doesn’t matter which one.
• Point with your index finger
• Now, draw a large, imaginary figure 8 lying on its side, crossing left to right in front of your body. Run your finger along this imaginary figure several times.
• Now switch to the opposite arm. It may be harder since this is probably your non-dominant arm.
• Trace the same large sideways figure 8 several times.

This activity stimulates both sides of your brain and refreshes your thinking process. It might help you get through those long afternoon workdays. Use it as the need arises.

Children need opportunities to move so their learning ability can be enhanced. This is especially true in this age of online school and digital learning.

With enjoyable activities and movement, you can make learning so much fun your children won’t realize they are learning.

What’s one fun learning game you played as a child?