It is exactly what the term implies; learning how to move, or, being educated in the movement functions of the body. Movement Education is applied to physical education, creative movement, educational gymnastics, dance, games, and other activities of basic skill development.

At Gerstung, “learning through movement” has become the essence for age appropriate development of the child. That fundamental approach of teaching physical activities allows a student to understand the functions of his body and limitations of his ability. We also call it Body Management as we build a basic movement vocabulary. It provides the basics for further, more advanced, skill development and personal growth of confidence.

A more significant aspect of Movement Education is the utilization of specific teaching techniques. These methods are designed to encourage individualization, exploration and problem solving. Mind and body are challenged simultaneously as progress in small systematic steps is experienced.

Our Movement Curriculum fosters a child’s physical and emotional development. It utilizes concepts that give children the ability to handle themselves under a variety of circumstances.
This includes:
• Body awareness, locomotor and manipulative skills
• Learning to transfer weight and how to balance.
• Exploring how to defy gravity and how to utilize space.
• Focusing on quality of movement and its relationship to people and equipment.

What is Special About the Movement Equipment?

You don’t need high tech equipment in order for kids to have fun while being physical. Equipment must be basic, simple, and easy to use. Good institutional movement equipment is changeable & modifiable to engage a childs creativity and intellect while challenging his physical ability.

This concept is equally challenging and fun for the instructor since the apparatus consist of component parts that hook to each other in whatever way the instructor deems appropriate. The possibilities are endless for the purpose of creating a new set-up every class to keep children engaged and interested in their challenges.

Create your own equipment setup and expand by adding components; a few more every year. Our equipment and curriculum work together assuring that each child is challenged, physically and creatively, according to his/her own ability . . . so that every child can be a winner!

Why is Movement Education Important?

Movement Education is not a new concept, but one that the general public has been slow to embrace. Many people look at physical education, or movement education as mere fun and games, having nothing to do with the growth or development of young people. The common misconception is that the brain and the body have little to do with one another outside the realm of basic motor coordination. Nothing could be further from the truth. Decades of research have shown there are substantial links between movement and the proper development of analytical and cognitive abilities in the brain (a quick Internet search will provide you with a variety of web sites dedicated to this concept).

Children acquire knowledge through play, experimentation, exploration, and discovery. Exploring a concept through movement offers children a way of learning that helps make abstract concepts understandable and concrete. Movement programs that emphasize language, numbers, colors, music, and rhythm are particularly effective. There is substantial biological, clinical, and classroom research that supports the conclusion that the right physical education plays an integral role in boosting cognition, spatial perception, language, attention, emotion, and decision making skills. Enrolling children in movement classes gives them the basis to build those all-important pathways in the brain, while they are playing and having fun!