The Impact of Planned Purposeful Movement on Student Achievement in English Language Arts

Ongoing research has pointed to the human brain’s need for movement, yet the average student spends the majority of the school day sitting. Research links brain-based learning with improved student achievement. The intent of this study was to answer two questions: What is the impact of including planned purposeful movement in English language arts instruction on student achievement while using a district-mandated, scripted curriculum; and does planning for the inclusion of movement strategies in lesson plans impact the use of movement strategies in instruction? In this mixed methods study, qualitative data from teacher interviews were collected and merged with quantitative data from assessment scores, quarter grades, and teacher surveys to find the strength of the impact. Participants included three elementary, fourth-grade teachers at one elementary school in a large urban school district in North Carolina. This study introduced using planned purposeful movement within a district-mandated, scripted curriculum. Correlations between planned purposeful movement and student achievement in common assessments was not found (-0.075 Spearman’s rho). Correlations between planned purposeful movement and student achievement in quarter grades was found and is statistically strong (0.834 Spearman’s rho). Teacher interviews also pointed to a correlation between planned purposeful movement and student achievement. The descriptive data used to study the relationship of planning for movement and the use of movement in instruction found that teachers were likely to use movement when they planned for it

Improving Outreach & Collaboration

The module is designed to assist teachers and educational leaders in navigating resources that will aid in parent outreach. Henderson, Mapp, Johnson and Davies (2007) give four core beliefs to build strong partnerships between the home and school: 1. All families have dreams for their children and want what is best for them, 2. All families have the capacity to support their children’s learning, 3. Parents and school staff should be equal partners, 4. Responsibility for building and sustaining partnerships between school and home rests primarily with school staff, especially school leaders. The module, based on those four core principles, provides tools to provide outreach through the lens of partnership, interaction, and feedback to and from families. This module will help educators in learning how to develop trust and understand the families that make up their school communities in the effort to foster comprehensive involvement and improve the overall culture of the school. View professional learning module.https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/improve/1015/thumbnail.jp