Teaching Vocabulary Through Movement

There is growing evidence that incorporating movement into learning new concepts improves knowledge retention among students. Fiona Medley, a language arts teacher for third and fourth graders at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School (PETES) in Gatineau, Quebec, embraces the use of music and movement in her daily lessons. Not only does this approach make the classroom more active, engaging, and fun, but Medley also believes it enhances her students’ writing skills.

To delve deeper into the research supporting the practices featured in the video, explore the following resources:

The 2022 meta-analysis and review by Kayleigh Skene, Christine M. O’Farrelly, Elizabeth M. Byrne, Natalie Kirby, Eloise C. Stevens, and Paul G. Ramchandani on the effects of guidance during play on children’s learning and development in educational settings

The 2022 article by Rachel Parker, Bo Stjerne Thomsen, and Amy Berry on the use of play for learning in school environments

The 2019 comprehensive review by Lawrence Shapiro and Steven Stolz on studies related to embodied cognition

The 2019 research conducted by Panagiotis Kosmas, Andri Ioannou, and Panayiotis Zaphiris on embodied learning and its impact on children’s memory and language skills

The 2012 study by Spyridoula Vazou, Panagiota Gavrilou, Evangelia Mamalaki, Anna Papanastasiou, and Nefeli Sioumala on the integration of physical activity and its influence on academic motivation

The 2012 article by Christopher R. Madan and Anthony Singhal discussing the use of actions to enhance memory