Castle Hills Elementary provides its students with a unique learning experience with the Sensory Friendly School NEEF grant. Teachers can now take their lessons beyond the traditional classroom and explore the hallways and the outdoors. With kinetic learning, children can step on different shapes and read out the corresponding word or color. Movement, like jumping, while reading the words, activates different parts of their young brains and helps the students retain the lessons.
Colton Sandoval, a young first-grader, finds this approach fun as he practices his spelling words while reading them aloud with each step. He also enjoys this activity as it helps him release “the wiggles” and stay focused in class.
Dyslexia Specialist Rosemary Gonzales and Educational Diagnostician Mishel Smith believe that movement is essential to reinforce learning or to take a break so children can focus better when they return to the classroom. This approach also helps build coordination and motor skills in children. The joy and excitement are palpable as you see the children hopping on shapes, calling out words, shapes, and colors.