There is a great deal of research behind brain-based movement. If you’d like to know more, here are some resources to get you started.
Aerobic Fitness Boosts Memory and Learning:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265900.php
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0072666
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130911184716.htm
Movement & Learning:
http://movementandlearning.wordpress.com/about/
http://moveplaythrive.com/images/pdf/Link_Movement_Learning.pdf
Eric Jensen on Movement & Learning:
http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/104013/chapters/Movement-and-Learning.aspx
Eric Jensen, Carla Hannaford, & More
http://www.peopleoffaith.com/children-learning-fitness.htm
Carla Hannaford (“Smart Moves”) – The Importance of Moving:
http://www.teachingvalues.com/whymovement.html
Physical activity before trying to learn new material (“ideal” – Wikipedia):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_in_learning
Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development (American Academy of Pediatrics):
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/119/1/182.full
Play and Developmental Stages (Child Developmental Institute):
http://childdevelopmentinfo.com/child-development/play-work-of-children/pl2/
http://www.nutritionexplorations.org/kids/main.asp
United States Department of Agriculture:
Somewhere along the path of a child’s development, the integration of a basic movement pattern may have been skipped or not completed. Participation in our energizing Kids-Move activities provides the opportunity to revisit these movement patterns – in an intentional and sequential way – to support their development and maturation.
At the same time, we want to be helping kids gain the important benefits of increased physical fitness with our guided workouts, which research strongly suggests can also help make learning easier. Finally, because of the critically important connection between regular, quality physical activity and healthy nutrition for achieving and maintaining health and well-being, we don’t miss the opportunity in our overall program to include motivating content encouraging wise food choices – in a FUN way.