A quote from brain researcher Martin Korte is given in the steering document of the extracurricular activity course “German with Children’s Online University”: “The brain needs energy, oxygen, movement, fluid, and time for learning activities.” Why is movement so important? What are the tasks related to motor activities in the learning process: dynamic pauses, entertainment designed to bring variety, child’s play, or necessity?
Being only 2% of the total body weight, the brain consumes 20% (and even up to 30% in children and adolescents) of the energy supplied to the body with food, and 20% of the oxygen. When a person moves, the process of blood circulation becomes more intense, and the blood brings more oxygen to the brain. The work of the muscles forms special substances, which, getting into the brain with the blood, turn into endorphins. They are “responsible” for strong positive emotions and motivation. And if there is motivation, the learning process becomes easier and more effective.*
Therefore, motor activity during the exercise is not a “child’s play”, but a scientifically grounded necessity. And students should always learn from a teacher how exactly their brain learns, and what it needs to learn successfully. With this knowledge, they will also take motor activities in the lessons more seriously, which must be present in all school subjects.
And, of course, the attitude of students toward action-oriented games in the lessons and extracurricular activities depends to a large extent on the attitude the teacher takes toward this activity. If the teacher considers it only as a physical exercise, not serious entertainment, if the teacher himself does not participate in action-oriented games with students, and observes from the sidelines, then that teacher helps infuse students’ attitudes toward the movements as something unnecessary and not serious. It would be more correct if the teacher, by actively participating in the movement tasks in class, demonstrates that this is an adult, conscious, and deeply scientific approach to the teaching process. By incorporating movement in the lesson, the teacher expresses the desire make the teaching process more effective.
* For more information, see Martin Korte’s report, URL: https://www.swr.de/-/id=13458448/property=download/nid=660374/g5dlw5/swr2-wissen-20140706.pdf (access date: 25.12.2019).