Acting Out!: Avoid Behavior Challenges with Active Learning Games and Activities

by Rae Pica

Overview

Movement is not misbehavior! Current policies in the early childhood field ask teachers to treat children as though they exist from the neck up—even though research clearly demonstrates that the mind-body connection is vital to development. Rae Pica, founder and director of Rae Pica Keynotes & Consulting and author of the Moving and Learning series, advocates for active learning, not only because it’s developmentally appropriate but because doing so promotes a calmer, friendlier, and less challenging learning environment.



Section I provides theory, research, and language to advocate for active learning. Section II offers suggestions on how to update learning environments, and Rae offers some of her own past missteps in hopes that readers will be able to learn from her mistakes. Section III contains 200 ready-to-use movement activities that can be easily implemented into the day. Most require no materials, and every activity includes a “Curriculum Connection,” so readers can understand and clearly explain why the children aren’t “just playing.”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781605546964
Publisher:	Redleaf Press
Publication date:	11/05/2019
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Rae Pica is an education consultant dedicated to the development and education of the whole child. A former adjunct instructor at the University of New Hampshire, she is the author of 20 books, including the Moving and Learning series, the textbook Experiences in Movement and Music, and What If Everybody Understood Child Development?: Straight Talk About Bettering Education and Children’s Lives. A popular keynote speaker, Rae also offers online courses and has shared her expertise with such groups as the Sesame Street Research Department, the Head Start Bureau, Bright Horizons, the Centers for Disease Control, and schools, resource and referral agencies, and health departments throughout the country.

Table of Contents

Contents

Introduction

Section I: Rationale

What We Know about Sitting

What We Know about Fidgeting

What We Know about the Need for Active Learning

What We Know about the Link Between Physical Activity and Learning

Section II: Creating a Positive Learning Environment with Children on the Move

Implement Commonsense Solutions

Establish Rules

Employ Divergent Problem Solving

Use Positive Challenges

Make Corrections Creatively

Use Praise and Positive Reinforcement Wisely

Use Your Voice as a Tool

Monitor Energy Levels

Be Flexible

Don’t Insist on Participation

Create Tranquil Transitions

Don’t Underestimate the Power of the Outdoors

Section III: Activities

Circle Games for Community Building (36 total)

Cooperative Games to Promote Prosocial Skills (43 total)

Games That Foster Self-Regulation (37)

Brain Breaks (51)

Relaxation Exercises (33)

Editorial Reviews

Research-based, insightful, and accessible, Rae Pica’s newest professional development book is essential for teachers who want to understand, practice, and share the principles behind active learning.” —Texas Child Care Quarterly

“Thank goodness for the strong wise voice of Rae Pica! She clearly speaks the truth about the issues young children are facing when they do not have enough opportunity to move. This book not only addresses the problem but provides an extensive collection of approaches and activities to remedy the situation.” —Ellen Booth Church, early childhood author, keynote speaker, and product developer

“Children forced to sit at desks and listen? This book is the antidote. Pica suggests every manner of game, both physical and fun, to counteract the sterility of some of our contemporary preschools and kindergartens. Learning is not incompatible with joy!” —Roberta M. Golinkoff, PhD, Unidel H. Rodney Sharp professor of education, psychology, and linguistics and author of Becoming Brilliant: What Science Tells Us About Raising Successful Children and A Mandate for Playful Learning in Preschool

From the Publisher