Motor-Enriched Learning Activities Can Improve Mathematical Performance in Preadolescent Children

Abstract

Objective: An emerging field of research indicates that physical activity can benefit cognitive functions and academic achievements in children. However, less is known about how academic achievements can benefit from specific types of motor activities (e.g., fine and gross) integrated into learning activities. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether fine or gross motor activity integrated into math lessons (i.e., motor-enrichment) could improve children's mathematical performance.Methods: A 6-week within school cluster-randomized intervention study investigated the effects of motor-enriched mathematical teaching in Danish preadolescent children (n = 165, age = 7.5 ± 0.02 years). Three groups were included: a control group (CON), which received non-motor enriched conventional mathematical teaching, a fine motor math group (FMM) and a gross motor math group (GMM), which received mathematical teaching enriched with fine and gross motor activity, respectively. The children were tested before (T0), immediately after (T1) and 8 weeks after the intervention (T2). A standardized mathematical test (50 tasks) was used to evaluate mathematical performance. Furthermore, it was investigated whether motor-enriched math was accompanied by different effects in low and normal math performers. Additionally, the study investigated the potential contribution of cognitive functions and motor skills on mathematical performance.Results: All groups improved their mathematical performance from T0 to T1. However, from T0 to T1, the improvement was significantly greater in GMM compared to FMM (1.87 ± 0.71 correct answers) (p = 0.02). At T2 no significant differences in mathematical performance were observed. A subgroup analysis revealed that normal math-performers benefitted from GMM compared to both CON 1.78 ± 0.73 correct answers (p = 0.04) and FMM 2.14 ± 0.72 correct answers (p = 0.008). These effects were not observed in low math-performers. The effects were partly accounted for by visuo-spatial short-term memory and gross motor skills.Conclusion: The study demonstrates that motor enriched learning activities can improve mathematical performance. In normal math performers GMM led to larger improvements than FMM and CON. This was not the case for the low math performers. Future studies should further elucidate the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the observed behavioral effects.

Relationships between Motor Proficiency and Academic Performance in Mathematics and Reading in School-Aged Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

“…A total of four experimental studies [50,90,91,92] investigating the impact of motor proficiency-related interventions on academic performance in mathematics and reading of school-aged children were eligible for inclusion in the review (Table S2). A cluster randomized study by Beck et al [90] investigated whether fine or gross motor activity integrated into mathematics lessons over a 6-week period could improve children’s mathematical performance.…”

“…A cluster randomized study by Beck et al [90] investigated whether fine or gross motor activity integrated into mathematics lessons over a 6-week period could improve children’s mathematical performance. A quasi-experimental study by Callcott et al [91] investigated whether pre-kindergarten children who participated in a year-long program involving literacy and movement would demonstrate superior results in measures of movement and early literacy skills when compared with students receiving a literacy only intervention, movement only intervention or no intervention (control group).…”

“…Interventions ranged in duration from 6 weeks [90] to 3 years [92]. The interventions described in each study involved implementing motor skills into a prescribed number of lessons each week for a specified timeframe.…”

Physical Exercise and Academic Performance

“…On the other hand, an investigation of Beck et al 21 applied a 6-week intervention to 165 Danish children (7,5± 0,02 years old) where he associated motor work with performance in mathematics. The control group received conventional math classes, the intervention group 1 (G1) received a math class integrated with gross motor movements and intervention group 2 (G2) received an integrated math class with fine motor movements.…”

Improved cognitive performance in preadolescent Danish children after the school‐based physical activity programme “FIFA 11 for Health” for Europe – A cluster‐randomised controlled trial

“…Using knowledge of the effect of the quantitative as well as qualitative characteristics of physical activity on cognitive performance, recent studies have applied different types of chronic physical activity programmes in ecologically valid school settings and found promising results. These results range from improved academic performance (Beck, Lind, Geertsen, Lundbye-jensen, & Wienecke, 2016;Mullender-Wijnsma et al, 2016), improved inhibition ability (Crova et al, 2014;Hillman et al, 2014) to improved shifting performance (Schmidt, Jäger, Egger, Roebers, & Conzelmann, 2015). The types of chronic physical activity vary from motor-enriched learning activities (Beck et al, 2016), physical active school lessons (Mullender-Wijnsma et al, 2016), cognitively challenging and engaging activities (Crova et al, 2014;Schmidt et al, 2015), and team-oriented activities aiming at improving cardiovascular fitness .…”