Movement = Learning: Why It Matters

When children move, they learn. This is not just a catchy slogan — it is a fundamental truth grounded in neuroscience, child development, and classroom experience. Yet, in many learning environments, movement is still treated as a break from the ‘real work’ of thinking, writing, and concentrating. We ask children to sit still and focus, but often fail to see how movement supports — rather than distracts from — that focus.

Physical activity increases the release of key neurochemicals like dopamine, norepinephrine, and BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), which all enhance attention, mood, and cognitive performance. Children who are allowed and encouraged to move regularly show better working memory, greater cognitive flexibility, and improved executive functioning. They are more emotionally regulated, less anxious, and often less disruptive — not because the movement has tired them out, but because it has given their brains what they need to stay calm, connected, and engaged.

Movement supports deep, embodied learning that abstract teaching can’t always reach. When children act things out, walkthrough concepts, or build ideas with their bodies, they are physically strengthening neural pathways that support memory and understanding.

Movement is not an extra — it is a powerful form of thinking.

Incorporating movement into the school day does not require a complete overhaul. Micro-movements — like standing up, stretching, or using movement-based transitions — can be built into routines every 15–20 minutes. Lining up, handing out books, or transitioning to group work can all include small, structured movement patterns that help reset attention without derailing the lesson.

Our physical environment also matters. Flexible seating, standing desks, space to move, and tools like wiggle cushions or foot bands give children the sensory feedback they need to stay engaged. These are not distractions; they are supports for learning — particularly for neurodivergent children, sensory-seeking learners, and those still developing regulation skills.

But more than this, movement must be recognised as pedagogy in its own right. When children take part in role-play, whole-body spelling, maths on the move, they are not just active — they are learning in the way their brains and bodies are wired to learn. Phonics with actions, number lines they can jump on, call-and-response routines — these aren’t just fun. They are effective.

For many children, movement is essential for regulation. For children learning English or developing early literacy, movement anchors vocabulary in memory. For young children — and this includes more than just EYFS — movement is learning. Asking six- and seven-year-olds to ‘sit and get’ rather than ‘move to learn’ cuts directly against how they understand and interact with the world.

This shift in practice begins with a shift in mindset. We need to stop seeing movement as a reward, a break, or a behaviour problem, and start seeing it as what it is: cognitive scaffolding. When we honour children’s need to move, we honour their need to learn. If we ignore it, we do so at the cost of their engagement, wellbeing, and development.

“If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.” — Ignacio Estrada

His words are more relevant than ever. The real question is: are we ready to move with them?

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