The Beauty of Movement

There used to be a saying that kindergarten has become the new first grade. Just recently I have read that kindergarten has become the new second grade. As schools adopt new reading curriculums that are based on the science of reading research, it seems that what we know about the development of our kindergarten students is thrown out with the old curriculum. Five-year-olds were not designed to sit at a desk for a 45-minute lesson on reading. This is where I have been incorporating Montessori philosophy successfully into my public kindergarten classroom. 

One of my favorite pieces found in a Montessori classroom that I use in my traditional classroom is the idea of purposeful movement. I add transitions into work time for students to get up and move their bodies. In my classroom, each student has a small pencil basket on their desk that they take out each morning. 

Instead of keeping supplies in chair pockets or on the table, all our supplies are located on a back counter or shelf away from the student tables. 

When an activity calls for coloring, they get up and walk across for the supply that is needed and put the one they were using away. If they are using colored pencils, they go and collect three colored pencils. By using three, it helps them from having too many supplies that they struggle to put away. When they need a different color, they get up and walk back across the room to exchange them for different colors.

While it sounds like a lot of commotion, it has the opposite effect in the classroom. The students are able to sit still and focus on their work because they have built in continuous little movement breaks to get their supplies. One or two students might quietly be up at a time. It also teaches independence and responsibility. All supplies are located in different areas of the room for the students to retrieve one item at a time including papers, glue, paints etc.. At the end of the day, students practice autonomy by having daily jobs to make sure that each supply shelf is stocked, tidied, and ready for the next day.

During centers, I incorporate work where they are up and moving around the room. For any of this to work, there is a lot of modeling and reteaching. Students are able to self-assess. My favorite phrase that I use as a reminder as well as acknowledgement is “self-control!” One of the student’s favorite works is doing a write the room activity with a clipboard where they are roaming the room looking for words to record on their sheets.

When purposeful movement just isn’t enough, the focus becomes being able to self-regulate. My favorite item in my classroom is our trampoline. Students who are having a difficult time sitting in their sear or on the carpet, or friends that are running across the classroom get pointed to the classroom trampoline for 10, 20, or 15 jumps. They are regulating while practicing their counting skills. Throughout the day the trampoline is available for students to use without teacher direction. As with all classroom activities, there is preteaching that happens: one person at a time, hold on to the bar, step off instead of leap off, and come back to the group quietly. The trampoline has a huge impact on my students that need frequent sensory breaks or a quick reset. It has also become a favorite place to work with a friend.