Learning maths while exercising means better results says University of Sydney research
CHILDREN learn their times tables better while running around the playground than sitting still at a desk, a new Australian study has found.
NSW
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CHILDREN learn their times tables better while running around the playground than sitting still at a desk, a new Australian study has found.
The program, called Maths on the Move, combines maths and physical activity such as learning multiplication through shuttle runs and star jumps.
Results showed that not only was the physical activity physically beneficial, it improved the students’ brain power as well.
The Sydney University research found that Year 4 children who were taught multiplication tables during physical activity outdoors performed better in numeracy tests than when they were taught in a more traditional classroom approach.
Study author Melanie Vetter said the results built on existing evidence that physical activity was important for enhanced brain function, and that fitter children performed better academically through superior attention spans, improved decision-making ability and faster cognitive processing.
“While both the playground approach and the traditional classroom approach saw kids improve in learning their multiplication tables, only the playground approach resulted in an improvement in physical fitness,” Ms Vetter said.
“Interestingly, kids also performed slightly better on a general mathematics test, similar to a NAPLAN test, while in the playground ‘classroom’ compared with the traditional classroom.
“While larger studies are needed to replicate these results and identify whether other areas of the curriculum such as spelling or literacy could be taught on the move, the study highlights the potential for schools to add a new dimension to learning while tackling children’s rising inactivity levels,” Ms Vetter said.
Brighton-Le-Sands Public School was one of the NSW schools involved in the pilot, and assistant principal John Sutton said it was an innovative approach to learning that clearly worked.
“We were comparing groups of children learning maths sedentary at desks in the traditional style, to groups who were learning while doing physical activity, and we did see an improvement in those children,” Mr Sutton said.
“We would do multiplication tables and shuttle runs to the answer and do star jumps or activities like that, and the kids loved it.
“Doing it first thing in the morning to get the kids actively learning works really well, and it really provides a holistic approach to learning.
“It shows that if kids are enjoying themselves, they learn much more effectively.
“And it combines fitness with maths, so from that perspective you are doing two things — getting fit and learning.
“It was great.”
The NSW Education Department said it was up to individual schools to take on the Maths on the Move program, which Mr Sutton said was a great addition to the school’s curriculum.
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