One Tired Teacher
One Tired Teacher
OTT 240: Wiggle While You Read: The Secret Weapon for Book-Resistant Bouncy Kids
Does your active child struggle to sit still during reading time? You're not alone. That constant fidgeting, restlessness, and apparent disinterest in books isn't a sign they don't like reading—it's their body telling you they need to move to learn effectively.
I share the story of my son Jackson, who walked at nine months and was physically advanced but struggled with traditional sit-still activities like reading. Many children—especially those with ADHD or sensory needs—process information better when movement is incorporated into learning. Science confirms what many parents observe: physical activity activates brain functions that improve focus, memory, and comprehension.
The heart of this episode reveals three game-changing strategies that transform reading from a dreaded chore into an exciting adventure. First, try yoga poses tied to story elements—like superhero stance when characters make brave choices or jumping jacks when settings change. This mind-body connection dramatically improves retention while making books feel interactive. Next, create story-based scavenger hunts by hiding objects that match elements in the book, turning reading into an active treasure hunt that kinesthetic learners love. Finally, act out parts of the story using movements and different voices, bringing characters to life and deepening understanding.
These simple techniques require minimal preparation but yield powerful results—children who not only comprehend better but actually enjoy reading. Best of all, these movement-based approaches create joyful connections between you and your child rather than reading battles. Ready to transform reading time? Download my free Five-Minute Reading Fix and try just one strategy tonight. Share how it works in the comments, and subscribe for more practical ways to raise confident, enthusiastic readers who love books their way.
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Welcome to One Tired Teacher. Episode 240, three reading hacks for active kids. So today we're talking about active kids and how kids need to move and read and move so that they can read, and all that good stuff. Hope you stick around.
Speaker 2:Welcome to One Tired Teacher and even though she may need a nap, this teacher is ready to wake up and speak her truth about the trials and treasures of teaching here. She is wide awake. Wait, she's not asleep right now, is she? She is awake right. Okay, from Trina Debery, teaching and Learning your host, trina Debery.
Speaker 1:Hi. Does your child get restless when they're reading? They're unable to sit still and maybe they fidget, they get distracted. They even seem like they might be a little bit uninterested in the book. Well, here's a secret Movement isn't the enemy of reading. In fact, kids often focus better when movement is part of the reading process. In today's video, I'm going to share three fun movement-based activities or strategies that help engage kids with books without losing focus. These simple techniques will boost comprehension, increase intention and make reading an adventure your child wants to take. Hope you stick around. So here's what you're going to learn. You're going to learn that movement improves reading comprehension and also it improves the love of reading. You're going to learn three fun, research-based strategies to get kids to get kind of, get the wiggles out while reading, and a simple five-minute reading fix for busy parents who need quick solutions. All right, let's get started. So why movement helps kids focus on reading?
Speaker 1:Let me tell you a little story about my son Jackson. He was a kid that moved all the time. I swear I thought when he was first born that he was just gonna. I don't know how he was gonna continue to just go, go, go, go, go all day Like he was a newborn and he would just kick, kick, kick, kick, kick his legs constantly. From the moment that I brought him home from the hospital he would just lay on his back and kick his legs forever. He was so active and so physical all of the time and he was just like way ahead of schedule in the physical aspect. He even walked at nine months old, and I'm not I don't mean just walked around the table, I mean walked, and which was quite an adventure. But when it comes to talking and reading and and things that were more on that kind of aspect of of development, he had a harder time. It took him a little bit longer. Part of the issue was is that he needed to move to excel at other things. So things like sitting still in school were a really big struggle for him, and sitting still and doing homework was hard. Going to church listening was hard. It was torture for Jackson. So if your child struggles in that way, let me tell you I get it. So let's talk about it. Let's talk about the science behind it. Many kids, especially those with ADHD or even sensory needs, which is my son, learn best through movement. Research shows that physical activity activates brain functions. It improves focusing. It helps with memory and comprehension. Instead of forcing kids to sit still all the time, we can harness their energy to make reading interactive and engaging. So let's think about it.
Speaker 1:Whoever been in like, a long meeting or in a classroom setting where you found yourself fidgeting, maybe you're guilty of something that I do. I'm going to show you what. That is All right. So this is a. This is a minor example. Like do you see how the pin this is pulled out? Like this is just the beginning of my problem. This is a regular occurrence.
Speaker 1:I fidget. I fidget with pen caps, I fidget with anything that I can, because it's really hard for me to just sit still, like it is for many kids. If you've ever found yourself tapping or your pen shifting from from you know one hand to the other, or you're doodling, or maybe drawing, or something, kids experience the same need to move, but even stronger. It's even stronger for them. This is still in me. In fact, the thing that helps me is typing. Typing is actually. It allows me to move my body at a speed in which my brain is able to process. So, instead of making stillness the goal, we can build movement into reading time to help kids thrive.
Speaker 1:Let's talk about some movement strategies. So if you've heard anything that you like so far, then definitely give me a like, give me a thumbs up, let me know in the comments. That helps me to know that I'm on the right track. So let's talk about some movement strategies. So one thing we can do is we can assign yoga poses to key movements in books. We can use reading and yoga together. This is the mind and body connection.
Speaker 1:So every time a specific event occurs, kids can strike a pose while continuing to listen or read. So, example we might do the superhero stance when the character makes a brave choice. We might do the tree pose, which is one of my favorites, when the character is thinking or planning. We might do the tree pose, which is one of my favorites, when the character is thinking or planning. We might do jumping jacks every time a new setting is introduced. This is a really good one too, because it actually helps them pay attention when to when the setting does change, because that can feel really subtle sometimes, but it can also be can leave a really big clue for a reader. We could do a downward dog every time a character is having a hard time.
Speaker 1:So why does this work? It engages both the mind and the body. It improves retention. It helps reluctant readers stay engaged by making books feel like an adventure, or it makes them feel interactive, like they're able to participate in a way that feels good to them. It encourages storytelling fluency by pairing words with movement. So let's try this tonight Choose a short book and assign three simple movements related to the story. Watch how much more engaged your child becomes while reading.
Speaker 1:All right, let's talk about strategy number two. If you think that was a really helpful strategy I've got to share that with a friend then definitely subscribe to this channel and share this channel. Let other people know you know what. I'm getting some good advice and I really love what I'm hearing. All right, let's talk about strategy number two story-based scavenger hunts. This can be really fun and it's very engaging for visual and kinesthetic learners. So how does it work?
Speaker 1:Before reading, hide small objects around the house. It could be pictures, it could be an object that has to go with the story. Anything will do. You're going to hide them around the room that matches parts of the story as your child reads. They have to search for the matching item. When they reach that part of the book. So here's an example. If're reading the three little pigs hide pictures of straw and sticks and bricks around the room. If you're reading jack and the beanstalk, yes, I'm still like, stuck on fairy tales, folk tales and fables. I'm ready to come out of those genres and get something new. But, um, those are the examples that I have right now. So we're going to read. If we're reading jack and the beanstalk, we're going to hide a picture of a golden egg or a giant's footprint. We're going to hide those for them to find.
Speaker 1:If you're reading Pigs that Make Me Sneeze by Mo Willems, hide tissues around the house. Any kind of thing like that just makes it a little bit more engaging and fun, gets them moving, gets blood flowing in their brain, and then they come back to what you're doing. So why does this work? It turns reading into an active adventure instead of a passive task. It strengthens comprehension by reinforcing story elements through movement, and it's really great for reluctant readers who struggle with traditional reading approaches.
Speaker 1:So try this tonight. Choose a book, pick three to five objects and hide them. Let your child hunt for them while you are reading. Watch their excitement grow. All right, let's talk about strategy number three Again. If you're like this is great, I love it, definitely give me a thumbs up. Let me know in the comments. I'm going to try that I love this. All right.
Speaker 1:Moving on Strategy number three, and that is acting out stories. This really boosts fluency and expression. So how does it work? Instead of just reading a book which I don't want to say that as a bad thing because that's a wonderful thing, which I don't want to say that as a bad thing because that's a wonderful thing Along with reading a book, have your child act out parts of the story using simple movements, encouraging them to use different voices, different facial expressions and gestures to bring the characters to life. This also brings a lot more meaning to them and helps them better remember the story. Here's an example Pretend to sneak.
Speaker 1:If you're the fox, you're going to pretend to sneak. If you're a character who is sneaky, like the fox and the gingerbread man, you're going to practice sneaking up. If there's some kind of danger or something really exciting going on in the story, you can run in place when the character is escaping the danger. You can use a dramatic voice when a character makes an important decision. Why does this work? It improves fluency and comprehension by making words feel more meaningful. It helps kids who struggle with expression become more confident readers. It turns reading into play instead of schoolwork. Try this tonight Pick one scene from a favorite book and act it out together. Encourage dramatic voices and movements to make it come alive. All right, so we're getting ready to wrap it on up.
Speaker 1:I want to tell you about the five-minute reading fix. I'm going to show you a little screen. If you want to make it easy and stress-free to build your child's reading confidence, then grab my five-minute reading fix. It's quick, actionable strategies to help your child enjoy reading without frustration. It's perfect for busy parents. I also have one for teachers who need real solutions fast, and you can download that right below in the description.
Speaker 1:All right, let's talk about final thoughts. Reading doesn't have to mean sitting still. Movement-based reading strategies help kids stay engaged and helps them focus better. It helps them understand deeper and it actually helps them enjoy books. Plus, the good news is, your child starts to see reading as joyful. It's a joyful moment with you. It's a moment of connection and not just a constant time of drudgery. Try one of these strategies today and let me know how it worked. Do drop a comment below. Let me know what's your child's biggest reading struggle. And if you want to know more quick and easy reading strategies, sign up for my newsletter and get access to exclusive tips, book recommendations and fun reading challenges. You can find that at trinadeveryteachinglearningcom forward slash newsletter. Don't forget to definitely like, share and subscribe to this channel so you don't miss a thing. And also, let's remember that we're building joyful and confident readers, readers in the making, one page at a time. Bye for now.