Free movement
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Movement is the motor which drives child development. Children are born with an innate need to climb, jump, swing, balance, play ball or just to move about. The urge to move is therefore part of human nature: it encourages exercise in a natural and healthy way, and ultimately promotes the development of the child. Brain research shows unequivocal connections between body and mind: learning involves the whole body. It has even been suggested that motor and cognitive development should be viewed as two connected cogs within a large complex system, each dependent on the other:
As soon as a child's muscles are active, messenger molecules (in the form of proteins and hormones) are continuously released, and have a positive influence on metabolism, and in the regeneration and connection of nerve cells in the brain.
Stimulating the balance systems, which is something children do spontaneously in free play, activates the release of hormones, such as neurotrophin, that have a tremendous effect on brain activity.
When seating is dynamic –enabling children to move around the classroom, sit on the floor or on cushions, and work in any position they choose–, body temperature rises due to increased blood circulation, the brain gets more oxygen, and concentrating becomes easier.
Taking part in physical activities on a regular basis has been associated with improved academic performance, attention and memory; doodling increases children's concentration skills; and early kindergarten motor skills, especially visual motor skills, contribute to children's reading and mathematics at a later stage.
Learning spaces and furniture at Kaleide School are designed to avoid restricting or suppressing movement and to promote ergonomics. The outdoor spaces, as well as a specific room equipped for psychomotor play, are always available to the children, offering them ample opportunities to develop their physical skills, express themselves through movement and dance, release emotional tensions and learn to assess their own capabilities.
