scientific articles and resources
We’re excited to share with you not only what we offer at Kids 360° Early Learning Academy, but why. The scientific foundation that our curriculum was built on is what sets us apart from other centers offering similar services.
key terms index
Get geeky with us! Check out important key terms we use at school and that you and your child will hear as a Kids 360° family. Learn with us as we facilitate a curriculum based on science and movement!
angela hanscom ted talk, balanced and barefoot
We love this TED Talk from Angela Hanscom who explains that lack of movement is leaving children with underdeveloped bodies and less prepared than any time in history for school.
spark by john j. ratey, MD
In one of our favorite books, John J. Ratey writes about movement being the most important tool for improving our brain function. He writes that “exercise creates an environment in which the brain is ready, willing, and able to learn” and we couldn’t agree more!
learning in motion: bringing movement back into the classroom
EducationWeek makes an argument that sitting still should not be the standard in the classroom and that studies point to movement as a solution. “Studies show that children who are more active exhibit better focus, faster cognitive processing, and more successful memory retention than kids who spend the day sitting still.”
ready, set, go!: the kinesthetic classroom by michael s. kuczala
Our curriculum takes a page from this great book that offers activities that combine movement and core academic work. Kinesthetic classrooms offer an energized learning environment where movement helps to spark learning and engage students. Read the book or listen to the author share more in the podcast linked below!
the kinesthetic classroom: teaching and learning through movement by traci lengel and michael kuczala
We love this book and you will find much of the framework is applied in our Kids 360° kinesthetic classrooms. The authors discuss the brain/body connection and share how educators can use movement purposefully and thoughtfully in an educational environment to improve student learning. We recommend this read or the author’s TedTalk linked below to learn more about the growing research that physically fit kids do better academically and that aerobic activity enhances brain function.
the decline of play in preschoolers — and the rise in sensory issues by valerie strauss
Touching back to the notion from Angela Hanscom, who explains that lack of movement is leaving children with underdeveloped bodies and less prepared than any time in history for school, this article expands the idea even further!
the play deficit by peter gray
“Children today are cossetted and pressured in equal measure. Without the freedom to play they will never grow up” – we couldn’t agree more!
the pyramid of learning by amy hathaway
“The pyramid of learning is a helpful visual for understanding why the sensory systems are so important for children! It shows the sensory systems as the foundation for many other areas of development.”
movement builds a child's brain by jacqueline amor-zitzelberger
“Research shows a link between cognitive development and movement, meaning children need opportunities to move so they can learn.“
the sixth and seventh senses: the vestibular and proprioceptive systems
Eyas Landing keys in on the reasoning behind the dysfunctions behind a lacking on all the senses and what we can do as parents to help activate them.
A first-of-its-kind preschool for kids ages 3-5, offering an expansive, state-of-the-art learning environment designed to facilitate optimal learning for the whole child.
flex your brain
360 East 186th Street
Westfield, IN 46074
(317) 888-4805
info@kids360preschool.com