Squirm to Learn

Debbie Willingham
Jun 16, 2008

Our students are body-centric-they notice their bodies (and each others'), they wiggle their bodies, and they use their bodies to talk-so why not use all that to help them learn? The research tells us that intellectual memory is connected to movement and that spatial location helps make connections, so here are a few easily adaptable ideas that will help all students learn, remember, review and practice in motion.

The Human Continuum

Assign one end of the room for "strongly agree" and the opposite for "strongly disagree" and have students move to the place along the invisible line that matches their level of agreement on your statement. Give each student a fraction, decimal, or percent and have them get in line in order from smallest to largest (.099, .2, 1/3, .39, 2/5, .6, 2/3, 68%, etc.). Give each student a letter from a tough vocabulary word and have them get in the correct order to spell it.

Life-Size Matrix Organizer/Grid

On two adjacent walls of the room put the markers for each category of a matrix (what would be at the top and left side on paper). Give each student an index card with a characteristic that fits in the matrix. Have them discuss and move to the correct grid location, then have them switch cards, move around, and do it again. Examples are part of the multiplication table, characteristics of folk tales with examples from specific stories, or countries, planets, etc. and their characteristics.

Inside-Outside Circle

Have students make two concentric circles with pairs facing each other (one from the inside circle facing outward to see their partner in the outside circle, who faces inward). Students discuss topics or answer questions, then the outside circle rotates clockwise one person and they do the same with a new partner. Give each student a person studied in history to have a conversation with another person in history they are facing. Assign each student a fraction that is to be multiplied with the partner's fraction. The teacher may choose to do this as one large class circle or to have two smaller groups with identical assignments.

Kinesthetic Spelling

Have students look at the word and trace the letters with their index finger as they say them (aloud or silently). Have students practice writing the word in salt in a box, finger paint, pudding, or shaving cream. Have students write the word in the air with their eyes closed, then write it on paper and check their accuracy.

These are just a few simple ways to get students moving as they learn or review what they have learned. While some students are kinesthetic learners and need to use this method of differentiating, all students can benefit from "squirming as they're learning!"