Annotated Bibliography

Review of Related Literature “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” (Fred Rogers, 2003) This quote by Fred Rogers sets the tone for my research study. The purpose of my research is to show how integrating free play/movement, and strengthening activities into the curriculum can improve academic performance, and behavior in the classroom, especially for students with ADD/ADHD and students with Autism. Research on this specific topic has been around for many years. “Lev Vygotsky (1967) identified play as the leading source of development in terms of emotional, social, physical, language, and/or cognitive development. This

These studies address immediate, short-term responses to exercise, and lend support to the idea that school recess periods, breaks for play and exercise can enhance attention in the classroom. “Children who are given the opportunity to run for 15-45 minutes before class were less distracted and more attentive to schoolwork.” (Wilson, Ph.D. Donna. "Move Your Body, Grow Your Brain." Edutopia. N.p., 12 Mar. 2014.) According to the study these effects lasted two to four hours after their workouts. Movement has been shown by educational, cognitive, psychological, medical, and behavioral research to be one of the best ways to get all children to gain control over their behavior and to engage with and retain what is being taught to them. (Fiore, Nina. "The Benefits of Movement in Schools." The Creativity Post, 8 Aug. 2014. Web.) Movement brain breaks are a great way to get your students up and moving to recharge their brains. Most teachers in the school I work in do these frequently with their students to give them a boost in their energy throughout the day. An example that our fourth grade does that they all really enjoy is the “ssss game”. Students listen to teacher read a short story, each time the sound “ssss” comes up they either have to stand up or sit down. When you think about it you wouldn't think those sounds come up to often but they do! The kids love it, and are laughing the entire time. An example of a brain break that some of the other classes do including the first grade is “Go-Noodle”. These are silly videos made by people to get kids up and moving. They are generally about 3 to 5 minutes each and include different body