Moving to Learn

One of my kids was great at sitting at a table and working at a computer, or building with Legos, or making a drawing, or filling in a homemade worksheet she'd requested, or doing a jigsaw puzzles. She was great at curling up next to me on a sofa or bed and listening while I read or, later, reading while I listened.

But two of my kids weren't quite as good at sitting still.

They liked to be more active!

As I look back on these journal entries, I remember that Lindsey moved more than Mindy and Camille, as she went about her day, playing and learning. However, I can now see that my youngest (who wasn't even a glimmer in a gleam when I journaled our first days of homeschooling) needed to be in motion even more than Lindsey!

She did better at decoding words, when she'd asked for help learning to read, while standing on a ball and fighting to keep her balance, than she did when she was trying to sit still. While watching TV, she would pile up sofa cushions and try to jump over them rather than plopping down on the rocker. (This was very distracting for the rest of us!) She would rather dance around the room while listening to a great story than curl up next to me in bed. She sometimes drove me a little bit crazy!

But some kids just think better while on the move! They learn by doing, often. People say they're “good with their hands.” They are good at sports or dance or acting or drawing or mechanics—or all of the above!

If we adults can help these movement-oriented kids learn what they want and need to learn in the way that best suits them—in an active, hands-on way—they may well grow up to be accomplished movers and shakers in the world!