The Kinesthetic Classroom: Teaching and Learning Through Movement

"Here is a resource that is based on sound research in neuroscience and cognitive psychology and filled with practical suggestions on how to incorporate movement into all kinds of learning activities at every grade level. The Kinesthetic Classroom is a must-have book for every educator who wants to improve student motivation and achievement."
―David A. Sousa, Educational Consultant
Author of How the Brain Learns

Discover the link between physical activity and academic success!

Current research shows that regular physical activity helps children and teenagers perform better in school. Taking physical activity beyond gym class and recess, this inspiring book shows how to integrate movement as part of classroom teaching and learning.

Drawing on cutting-edge educational research, the authors describe how regular physical movement improves attention span and helps the brain master new information. Readers will learn how to use short activity breaks to refocus students and how to enhance the academic curriculum through movement-based games. This resource includes:

• User-friendly information on how physical activity influences the brain
• Hundreds of movement activities that can be easily implemented in the classroom, including many requiring two minutes or less
• Discussion of how movement can contribute to classroom management and community
• Case studies showing how combining physical activity and academics contributes to student achievement

With an emphasis on teaching the whole child, this guide shows how movement can improve students′ mental and physical well-being and contribute to their joy in learning.

Traci Lengel is a Health and Physical Education teacher in the Pocono Mountain School District.  With more than twenty-six years of experience, Traci’s knowledge in movement education, kinesthetic furniture, motor development, lifelong fitness/wellness, health education, movement/technology balance, curriculum design and educational/content publication has contributed to the success of her insightful programs and consultations.  Additionally, Traci is an adjunct professor at La Salle University in Pennsylvania and The College of New Jersey.  In conjunction with these positions, she is a designer/coauthor of three graduate courses.  These highly esteemed graduate courses, titled Wellness: Creating Health and Balance in the Classroom, The Kinesthetic Classroom: Teaching and Learning through Movement and The Kinesthetic Classroom II: Moving across the Curriculum, have had a profound effect on the personal and professional lives of thousands of educators. Furthermore, Traci is coauthor of the book The Kinesthetic Classroom: Teaching and Learning through Movement, which was published in 2010 and is a best-selling educational publication. Her most recent publications, in 2017, are Ready, Set, Go: The Kinesthetic Classroom 2.0 and in 2018, Classrooms on the Move: Using Kinesthetic Furniture to Create a New Age of Learning.

As co-owner of her own educational consulting company ActivEDge, Traci is a consistent leader in her field.  She also balances an additional career position with the company Kidsfit. This corporation manufactures and sells kinesthetic furniture while providing educational experiences for instructional usage and application for these innovative designs.  These careers allow her to show others how to utilize active teaching methods in a variety of settings to enhance educational achievement and peak performance of learners of all ages and abilities.  Traci travels extensively to support and promote her passion for improving the health and well-being of children all over the world, while bringing learning to life.

Known for her enthusiasm, innovation, work ethic and passion, Traci devotes much of her time to both her personal and professional successes.  With her motivational teaching methodology, she presents and facilitates professional development trainings and workshops. Traci provides keynote presentations for active education along with meaningful programs in the areas of movement/technology balance, wellness, stress management and teaching/learning through movement in a kinesthetic classroom.  Her ultimate professional challenge is to inspire educators at all levels to incorporate movement into their daily teaching.  Traci’s greatest joy is the unconditional love and support she shares with her family and friends.  She is kindhearted and committed to bringing fun and laughter to education and the people who share her journey. Traci is persistent, dedicated and leaves a lasting impression.  She can be reached at theactivedge@gmail.com.

Mike Kuczala has delivered keynotes, given presentations, facilitated professional development and taught graduate courses on 4 continents. His presentations, courses, books and videos have reached more than 100,000 teachers, trainers, corporate executives and parents.  He is also the coauthor of the Corwin Bestseller and Association of Educational Publishers’ Distinguished Achievement Award nominated, The Kinesthetic Classroom: Teaching and Learning through Movement, a book and philosophy that has changed the view of teaching and learning around the world.  Mike’s 2nd book, Training in Motion: How to Use Movement to Create an Engaging and Effective Learning Environment, was released in 2015 (AMACOM) and Ready, Set, Go! The Kinesthetic Classroom 2.0 (Corwin) was released in the summer of 2017.  His 4^th book, The Peak Performing Teacher: 5 Habits for Success (Corwin) will be released on February 22. President of Kuczala Consulting and Academic Director for the Regional Training Center, Mike′s SRO presentations have been experienced in such diverse settings as The Educational Collaborative for International Schools, The East Asia Regional Council of Schools, The Francis Marion University Center of Excellence to Prepare Teachers of Children of Poverty Summer Institute, The American Society for Training and Development, The Forum for Innovative Leadership, The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and the Society for Health and Physical Educators.

In his role with Regional Training Center, Mike leads a cadre of about 100 graduate instructors who regularly provide graduate coursework to thousands of teachers across Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and beyond in partnership with The College of New Jersey and La Salle University. During his tenure, he has overseen the development of RTC’s online and virtual course offerings as well the design and implementation of new coursework, certificate programs and master degree concentration options. Mike also manages college and university partnerships. 

For more information, please visit www.mikekuczala.com or www.thepeakperformingteacher.com