Of course many renowned educators and scientists had noted the educational benefits of movement for years. The names of Jean Piaget, Rudolph Laban, and Marian Diamond come to mind. Five years after my own experience as a third-grade teacher in Illinois, I was training teachers at the University of Washington and received a federally funded grant to conduct research in the Seattle Public Schools. The primary grade project students also showed a great improvement in test scores. Most significant was the direct relationship the research showed between the amount of movement the classroom teacher used and the percentage increase of students' test scores.
Movement is the key to learning.
Forty years after my own third-grade experience, I am still using movement and dance to teach people of all ages, and every single day I see some little miracle happen. Students cannot sit still for very long before the blood and oxygen flow to their brains significantly slows down, thereby slowing down the learning process. Bringing dance into your classroom will not only increase learning, but will make your classroom a healthier, happier place to learn and teach. About the Author Anne Green Gilbert is author of Teaching the Three Rs through Movement and Creative Dance for All Ages . Anne offers courses for teachers through Seattle Pacific University, Seattle University, North Seattle Community College, and Creative Dance Center.