Mike Kuczala - Ready, Set, Go!: The Kinesthetic Classroom 2.0

• Mike Kuczala
• Traci Lengel
• Foreword by Paul Zientarski

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Do not train a child to learn with force or harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of genius of each.

Plato (BC 477BC 347), Greek philosopher

Even Plato knew that children will learn only when movement amuses the mind. Teachers become frustrated when they teach information that students find boring and uninteresting based on content, assessment, and accountability. They feel they have no time to incorporate kinesthetic learning. Research shows that students do not remember facts and concepts that are uninteresting. Therein lies the disconnect. Mike Kuczala and Traci Lengel have incorporated ideas that enable teachers to think outside the box in terms of how instruction is delivered. They provide a broad array of how to use movement to teach kinesthetically. It is their belief, and mine as well, that the examples contained in this book will enhance student engagement and thereby improve student learning.

Research shows that 85 percent of people are kinesthetic learners. In my own experience, students scored 20 percent higher on a quiz when they read while riding an exercise bike as opposed to sitting at a desk. Some of the teaching staff applied kinesthetic concepts in our high school at Naperville Central in Illinois. We put students in a physical education class prior to classes in which they struggled. Academic teachers in reading improvement and algebra readiness made a concerted effort to incorporate movement in their classes. The reading teachers even allowed students to ride exercise bikes while reading their assignments. The data we collected proved that all of these interventions were quite valuable and the improvement in student growth was phenomenal. More importantly the students have become staunch supporters of the program. When asked to give testimony to the visiting educatorswho have come from 26 states and eight foreign countriesthey unanimously agree that they have learned more and thus improved their test scores as a result of the structure of the classes. The teachers have been delightfully amazed at student progress.

Mike and Traci have referenced noted neuroscientists to confirm their work. By highlighting the work of Dr. John Ratey, Dr. John Medina, Eric Jensen, Dr. Carla Hannaford, and noted movement expert Jean Blaydes Moize, they bring true validity to their work of understanding the value of adding movement to the classroom. Using movement to enhance learning is the key to their concepts. Neuroscience studies now show that getting students out of their desks helps with an overall feeling of well-being. Adding exercise to the classroom alters the neurochemicals in the brain. This helps relieve stress and anxiety, improves attention, and can aid in the childhood epidemic of obesity our country is facing.

Im familiar with their first book, The Kinesthetic Classroom: Teaching and Learning Through Movement. I often reference the book when doing my work as an educational consultant. The examples they give for classroom activities encompass subject matters in all curricular areas including language arts, math, science, social studies, art, and music. All teachers can look at those examples and apply them to their classrooms and curriculums. This book adds even more ideas to their first, so utilizing both books vastly increases a teachers repertoire.

I believe one of the biggest benefits of this book is that it encourages teachers to engage their students in activities that involve not only learning academics but also interactive social skills. In the modern age, when people are so connected to their cell phones and other technology, it is imperative that schools teach students how to engage with each other. Businesses want intelligent employees who can work cooperatively with others and show the necessary social skills to be productive workers and team players.