Activate Math!: Using Movement to Spark Engagement and Ignite Learning

Get students excited to learn math with these fun and creative movement-based activities!

Math instruction and physical movement might seem like an unlikely combination, but think about it: For many students, math is the most stressful subject. And research shows that regular physical activity is an effective way to mitigate stress and boost brain power. Movement not only helps students regulate their emotions, but also improves their overall health and strengthens their neural networks. Activate Math! is the resource elementary and middle school teachers need to shake up math instruction’s deskbound status quo and get their students up, moving, and learning with enthusiasm.

In this book, acclaimed educators Suzy Koontz and Kirby Schoephoerster draw on educational psychology to integrate movement-based learning with mathematics concepts. With this approach, students become the manipulatives by hopping on a number grid to solve equations, imitating animal gestures and poses to demonstrate skip-counting, and even dancing through algebra problems.

Each chapter addresses the five catalysts of movement-based instruction:

1. Engage students,
2. Scaffold math concepts,
3. Expand knowledge,
4. Enrich curricula, and
5. Review progress.

The authors also include a comprehensive appendix of activities ready for you to incorporate in the classroom or try outdoors. Activate Math! is a must-read for all K–8 teachers who want to improve their students’ math skills and promote a healthy, active classroom environment.