This document discusses the importance of physical education for children's development and learning. It notes that while the US mandates just 100 minutes of PE per week, top-performing Finland mandates 75 minutes per day. Research shows that increased physical activity is associated with improved academic performance, behavior, and cognitive skills like focus. Specifically, aerobic exercise and sensory-rich play can boost brain development by elevating heart rate and strengthening skills like balance, coordination, and auditory processing. The document advocates growing children's brains through movement-based programs that stimulate sensory awareness.

1. The Power of Play:
Improving Kids’ Fitness and
Learning Skills
Brett Klika CSCS

2. Pounce- Backpedal, Engage!

3. www.SPIDERfitkids.com
Shimmy, Dive, 🍭

4. How much does America value physical education and
development?
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5. United States of America
• How in the world are we doing?
• (based on a study of 34 countries)
• 17th in reading
• 21st in science
• 26th in math
•
MANDATED PHYSICAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENT:
• 100 minutes per week
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6. Finland
• 1st in science
• 2nd in math and reading
what in the world are they doing right?
• MANDATED PHYSICAL EDUCATION
REQUIREMENT:
• 75 minutes per DAY!
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7. More than fitness?
“Skills of the eye, ear, muscle, and mind are similar.”
-Rosenbaum
• Historically, greater cognitive capacity associated with high-level motor behavior
• All learning uses both sensory and motor skills
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8. But kids need to study!
• Third graders who integrated physical activity
within the school day had significant increases in
academic achievement.
• After just 20 minutes of moderate treadmill walking
versus no exercise for 20 minutes, preadolescents
scored a grade level higher in a reading
comprehension test.
Source: Graham, Holt/Hale, and Parker authors of Children Moving: A Reflective Approach to Teaching Physical
Education (2013)

9. But kids need to sit still to study!
• Children who increased physical activity four-fold with
a 14-week physical education program demonstrated
improvements in fitness, academic performance, and
behavior.
• Doubling physical education time had no negative
impact on reading or math scores.
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Source: Graham, Holt/Hale, and Parker authors of Children Moving: A Reflective Approach to Teaching Physical
Education (2013)

10. How does physical activity improve behavior?
• Aerobic Exercise
• Increased blood flow
• Increased size of hippocampus
• Increased levels of BDNF
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11. How does physical activity improve learning and
behavior?
• Improved grammar skills
• Improved reading aptitude
• Improved social behavior
• Increased BDNF in cerebellum
• Improved neural plasticity
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STRATEGIC, SENSORY-RICH, COORDINATIVE EXERCISE—AKA PLAY!

12. Sensory Skills and Learning
• Sensory skills allow humans the ability to take in sensory input,
process it, then create an appropriate motor output.
Exploration/ Play
Selection
ApproximationFine Tune
Action to
Perception

13. Sensory Skills and Learning
Perceptual motor skills
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14. Program Goals for Exercise, Learning, and Behavior
• Grow the brain with movement by…
 Elevating the heart rate
 Using a wide array of sensory skills
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15. Directional Awareness for Learning
• An ability to discern personal and global direction from a variety of perspectives
Crossing the midline increases
neural speed and connections
through corpus callosum

16. Temporal Awareness for Learning and Behavior
• An ability to discern rhythm
• Improves grammar (words,
phrases)
• Increases reading aptitude

17. Visual Awareness for Learning and Behavior
• An ability to focus and track objects
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Myopia is associated with indoor/close up
focusing for extended periods of time.
Visual tracking—a skill that is necessary for
following words across a page—is associated
with improved reading ability.

18. Auditory Awareness for Learning and
Behavior
• An ability to process direct and indirect auditory cues
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• Associated with assessing rhythm (grammar,
words, and phrases)
• Right ear dominance can improve auditory
processing speed

19. Vestibular Awareness for Learning and
Behavior
• An ability to orient the head in relation to the ground and body
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• Semicircular canals- Position of head in relation to
the ground
• Otolith organs: Utricle and Saccule sense linear
acceleration
• Hypo vestibular- Under-stimulated
• Hyper vestibular- Over-stimulated

20. Vestibular Awareness for Learning and
Behavior
• An ability to orient the head in relation to the ground and body
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• ADHD: Hypo vestibular, poor balance, motor performance, ability to
focus, emotional inhibition.
• Balance and vestibular training associated with improvements in:
Auditory processing
Inhibition
Cognition
• Vestibular training stimulates the limbic system

21. Tactile Awareness for Learning and Behavior
•An ability to process touch appropriately
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• Competitive / Cooperative Touch
• Aggression

22. What to do from here…
• Communicate the value of your program.
• Communicate struggles with parents
Outsource
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23. Thank You!!!
Brett Klika
Facebook: spiderfit kids
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