Are there any physically active curricula?

[umsami]

DS1 seems to learn best when he's doing something physical. We try and take 10-15 min activity breaks, but I was wondering if there was an existing curriculum which might incorporate more physically active ideas. Msybe Oak Meadow (tossing a bean bag for math facts)? Any ideas? Doesn't need to be a complete curriculum...so might just be math, science, etc.

[shinyhappypeople]

That is a GREAT question. I have no answer :( But I'm all ears.

 

Oh, partial answer: not a full curriculum, but if you check the activities section at education.com you'll find some game-based activities (I remember one math activity involved riding a bike... can't remember details beyond that, though.)

[Mandylubug]

well, not sure about a curriculum itself but my son works and pays attention his best when he is standing. He just can NOT sit to work. Laying on his belly in the floor, or standing and doing his work at the buffet really helps him focus and have the ability to wiggle at the same time

[Suzannah]

I don't know of anything, but I did figure out pretty early on that my oldest needs to pace to memorize. When he was very little I would sometimes read longer stories to him while he played in the bathtub or sandbox or with toys like cars & Legos. As he got older, that morphed into doing our Bible reading and usually history while eating lunch. I don't know whether it helps him learn exactly, but it decreases the fidgety-type interruptions. Of course he's old enough now to sit and listen to something but it helps with the youngers too.

Edited May 22, 2012 by Suzannah
horrible, horrible typos!

[kamom]

We used to jump on the trampoline to learn the times tables! Don't know if that counts as cirricula!:001_smile:

[Lang Syne Boardie]

My second-eldest son didn't sit in a chair or work with a pencil until he was beginning third grade. But he wasn't behind at all, because he...

 

practiced math facts and spelling words while swinging, rolling across the floor, or jumping on the trampoline (we had a swing and a mini-trampoline in our living room for him),

 

did all his writing on the large whiteboard, on the shed wall with chalk, in the dirt with a stick, or in a large pan of rice with his finger (he could write whole paragraphs if he could just do it in a large-muscle way),

 

played in the sandbox, pool, or bathtub, or climbed trees while I read to him and he narrated back (we had a sandbox in the corner of the kitchen and cherry and apple trees near the house),

 

was rocked in the rocker by Mama until he was a GREAT big boy, rocking very fast, while I sang school content as well as lullabies and nursery rhymes,

 

and was generally allowed to be a very, very wiggly boy until one day he finally found it easier to just pick up a crayon and write on paper. Then I handed him a pencil, and little by little he learned to work at a table with books, pencils, papers, and everything.

 

There was no special curriculum involved. Just a very tired Mama.

 

Now he's a rising 8th grader, and his method is to get up early, go for a run, and then buckle down and study as hard and fast as he can all morning so he can run, bike, climb, and do TKD for the rest of the afternoon and evening. He's a solid B+ student in all subjects. He's learned to handle his need for motion while still getting normal stuff done.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

I love the posts above mine. :001_wub: Homeschooling is so right for boys like this.

[alisoncooks]

I have a very wiggly little girl. She is rarely still. I was thinking about getting one of these for writing time... Might be helpful?

[susankhan]

We purchased the multiply with me book and love it.. Very whole brain teaching with lots of movement..

 

http://mathandmovement.com/

 

http://mathmadefun.com/Books-and-DVDs_c11.htm

 

Susan Khan

[umsami]

Thanks everybody for so many great ideas. :D

 

I have a very wiggly little girl. She is rarely still. I was thinking about getting one of these for writing time... Might be helpful?

 

We have something similar, but cheaper. :) It does help some, as does using an activity ball to sit on vs. a chair. (The disc is great for a "regular" chair.) http://www.amazon.com/Isokinetics-Brand-Exercise-Balance-Cushion/dp/B000WQ4Z94/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1337559211&sr=8-2

[umsami]

We purchased the multiply with me book and love it.. Very whole brain teaching with lots of movement..

 

http://mathandmovement.com/

 

http://mathmadefun.com/Books-and-DVDs_c11.htm

 

Susan Khan

 

 

These look really neat!! Thanks :)

[alisoncooks]

Thanks everybody for so many great ideas. :D

 

 

 

We have something similar, but cheaper. :) It does help some, as does using an activity ball to sit on vs. a chair. (The disc is great for a "regular" chair.) http://www.amazon.com/Isokinetics-Brand-Exercise-Balance-Cushion/dp/B000WQ4Z94/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1337559211&sr=8-2

 

Thanks for sharing the cheaper disc link! :) I'm definitely adding these to my next Amazon purchase. I think it'll help DD.

[foxbridgeacademy]

Math- doing add/subtract facts by jumping on 1 foot for the first # then jumping on other foot for second # then both for the answer. Also another idea is to tell child to touch their nose(or other other body part, object, ect.....) 4 times then touch their toes (or other) 6 times... now 4 +6 =

 

you get the idea.

 

Then there's "Can you Spell on Your Head?" Simply they kick up to a head stand and spell the word.

We do Mother May I Spelling also.

[Merry]

.........It's a unit study curriculum that incorporates lots of physical activities while learning the subjects.

[jer2911mom]

Heart of Dakota's Little Hearts for His Glory had a good bit of physical activity in it. There was a lot of ball work while learning bible verses. There was dramatic play and acting things out or building things with blocks. The math activities sometimes involved movement. I thought my dd really benefitted from the ball work last year.

 

HTH,

Kathy

[TippyCanoe]

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[Pixjen]

We have something similar, but cheaper. :) It does help some, as does using an activity ball to sit on vs. a chair. (The disc is great for a "regular" chair.) http://www.amazon.com/Isokinetics-Brand-Exercise-Balance-Cushion/dp/B000WQ4Z94/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1337559211&sr=8-2

 

I have this too! My 7yo son is very tiny, and basically still needs a booster seat at the table for schoolwork. He was terribly embarrassed by his booster whenever friends would come over to play. I got one of these for him, and now ALL the neighborhood kids want to sit on it when they come over. :D He does a lot of standing at the table during school, but it does help him focus when he decides to sit.

[materursa]

I don't know if you're looking for a latin program, but I Speak Latin has physical activity in it.

[Mommyfaithe]

well, not sure about a curriculum itself but my son works and pays attention his best when he is standing. He just can NOT sit to work. Laying on his belly in the floor, or standing and doing his work at the buffet really helps him focus and have the ability to wiggle at the same time

 

My son was like this too. a yoga ball by the coffee table worked wonders. so did a chin up bar in the coat closet.

[Mommyfaithe]

I let my son bounce around as much as needed and just work around it.

 

Crazy thing is I have one that can't sit still and one who doesn't want to move. :glare:

 

We do too. I say I have 2 brands. Why is there never a neutral?

[Suzannah]

I came back to this thread and was reminded of a few more "movement" things that we do. I see that your children are older, but maybe it'll spark some ideas.

 

We visited Colonial Williamsburg for the first time when my oldest was about 2 I think. I bought a print of the alphabet which shows "Hodge & Podge" forming all but two of the letters with their bodies. DS and now all three kids have really enjoyed making these letters. Sometimes we'll take turns guessing what they're doing and sometimes we challenge them to try to make an "M" or some of the other more awkward ones. http://photoseek.photoshelter.com/image/I0000uWcg.MbNMNw

 

Another activity I've done for a long time is to put numbers on each stair on the main staircase and have them practice counting forward and backward as they go up and down. Then when they're pretty good at that, they can practice counting by twos.

Edited May 22, 2012 by Suzannah