While I was working in a classroom recently, I watched as a little boy stood up to proudly show his work to a paraeducator who regularly works in his classroom.  She responded to him by rolling her eyes, cutting him off mid-sentence, and sternly telling him to go back to his seat and to stay there and finish his work.  She then proceeded to walk over to me and say, "I swear, that kid can never stay in his seat for more than two minutes!  I wish he would just sit there and do his work."  She was frustrated, as I am sure she corrects this boy (and several others) many times a day to sit down and do his work.  I like this paraeducator and have seen her help a lot of kids, so please understand that I am not putting her down in any way.  I realize, however, that like her, many educators and parents do not understand why kids like this boy have such a hard time staying in their seats.  I am writing this to challenge the perspective of educators and parents who find themselves pulling their hair out trying to get their kids to sit still and do their work, and to teach practical strategies to help these children do their best.

 

During my workshops and consultations, I teach parents and teachers to watch their children and students for clues to their individual needs.  Then we discuss how to meet those needs proactively to improve focus, learning, and school and home behavior.  Incorporating movement into lesson plans and homework time actually helps all children learn, but some children have a much higher need for movement than others.  For example, I know that movement actually helps my son Jared learn, process, and recall information.  When he has a story to tell at the dinner table, he gets up from the table and walks in circles around it until he is done talking.  Then he sits back down to eat.  When Jared is on the phone, he walks in circles or aimlessly around the house.  By paying attention to the way Jared behaves when he is trying to think, I have learned that he has a NEED for movement.  I would be doing my son a disservice if I were to try to take movement away from him when he is learning and processing information.  I can't just tell him to sit down and do his work, because that would be ignoring one of his major needs and would actually make it harder for him to focus and concentrate.   

 

Rather than forcing kids with a high need for movement to conform to what we want them to do, let's work with the nature of our children and students and help them learn by meeting their needs proactively.  Children who need to move to learn should not be looked down upon and made to feel that they are always frustrating and disappointing the adults in their lives.  This can truly damage their self-esteem.  Don't force children to make a difficult choice between doing what their body needs, and getting into trouble.  Instead, implement some or all of the following tips for allowing kids to move while learning.  Your kids and students will be happier, more focused, and will learn much more with just a little understanding and planning by you.