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INTEGRATION WITH LITERACY AND NUMERACY

 

There is only so much time teachers have during each day and trying to fit everything in can be tricky. Integrating subject areas together is a great way to ensure the sudents are learning valuable skills, covering all areas of the curriculum and best of all, it saves A LOT of that precious, limited time!

This page will show you a few things to consider when planning your day and you will be able to see how some other people have integrated physical activity in with the almighty literacy and numeracy areas.

WHAT IS SUBJECT INTEGRATION?

Subject integration is when two or more subject areas are combined with intentions of enhancing the learning in each of the subject areas.

 

Advantages of integrating PA with other areas:

There are many advantages of this such as:

 

  • It improves focus and concerntration for academic work.

  • It improves health and minimises absences due to sickness.

  • Physical activity improves mood and self esteem.

  • It decreases anxiety before big tests and assignments.

  • Can reduce the pressure on teachers to try and fit every subject area into their planning.

  • It can connect ideas in the curriculum.

  • Enhances learning by introducing content from new perspectives.

  • Students can often draw more meaning and relevance from learning.

  • Helps keep some of the more active students engaged.

 

Disadvantages of integrating PA with other areas:

There are also some disadvantages around this such as:

 

  • Requires ongoing flexibility and collaboration.

  • Learning intentions may be less clear for students’ understanding.

  • Requires extra time and compromise to consistently interweave subjects.

  • Learning can be ‘spread too thin’ and become ineffective.

  • Some topics may have to be omitted to make way for the other curriculum area.

  • Students may not participate due to no interest in the other curriculum area being integrated.

  • Identifying student achievement in each curriculum area may become more difficult for teachers.

 

HOW TO INTEGRATE P.A WITH OTHER SUBJECT AREAS

The health and wellbeing of children is being compromised by the increasing amount of child obesity (see obesity page). This isnt being helped by the huge drive towards improving literacy and numeracy in our schools as teachers are feeling pressured to spend more time on these areas and leaving less time for physical activity (Dollman, 2006). There is a lot more emphasis placed on numeracy and literacy as there is a belief that these areas are important to be able to achieve employment later on. This theory falls apart when reseach is taken into consideration around how physical activity can be integrated into these subject areas to actually improve and maximize the learning experiences through the benefits described above (Moncrieff, Nogueira, Tsapaliaris, 2003).

 

The number of different ways in which a literacy or numeracy lesson can be made physical comes down to the imagination of the teacher planning it. If you are struggling with some innovative ideas on how to get your students moving to enhance their learning and engagement, there are plenty of ideas online. Have a look at the Pinterest website to get you started and adapt ideas to make it relevant to suit your students. 

 

Creative ideas for integrating P.A with Literacy and Numeracy.

There are some really amazing and creative ways to engage students in the focal areas of numeracy and literacy. Click on the Pinterest logo to the left to check out some creative pintrest ideas on integrating physical activity to enhance literacy and numeracy and keep the learning fun for everyone!

 

SEE HOW IT CAN BE DONE

LITERACY

This video shows a very physical literacy lesson. The students are working on improving their vocabulary through a sort of treasure hut involving running up and down the length of the gym in a race to achieve their goals.

NUMERACY

Here the teacher still keeps the students in the class, but they are up and moving around to enhance their learning experience. Notice how all of the students are engaged while they are physically participating in the lesson.

PHYSICAL ENERGIZERS

Integrating physical activity into the school day can be done through making the academic lesson physical, or it can be as simple as a physical enigizer, sometimes known as a brain break where students are able to do some kind of physical activity in between lessons.

 

Physical activity energizers throughout the day are a wonderful way to transition from one activity to the next and help keep students engaged. Research shows that short activity breaks can improve students’ concentration skills and classroom behavior. These breaks can be one minute or more. It is important to remember that students shouldn’t be sitting for more than 50 consecutive minutes, and younger students should not sit for longer than 20 to 30 minutes consecutively (California Department of Education, 2008).

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