The Importance of Movement and Dance

By Sam Piha


The front page of Education Week (November 17, 2010) featured an article entitled "Schools Integrate Dance Into Lessons," citing that "the infusion of the arts appears to be gaining a stronger foothold at a time when advocates are struggling to ensure time and support for their disciplines."

We know through Howard Gardner's work and new brain research that movement is an important reinforcement for learning. We also know that young people do not get the opportunity to be as physically active as they should be. It is important that afterschool programs are not shy or apologetic about integrating movement and physical activity into learning in the afterschool hours. How does your program use physical activity to contribute to the learning experience?

Learning in Afterschool Ambassadors
demonstrating that learning is active