Yoga and reading, how do they go together? Reading is a crucial part of an early-learner's development. Yoga and storytelling might not be something you’d normally associate with each other, but research shows that combining movement with reading enhances development and literacy skills.
You might think children need to be seated and quiet to focus, but the opposite may be true. Yoga is a great way to add movement into storytime and is an important part of the Mindful Play Learning curriculum!
Think about that energized and focused feeling you get after yoga or any great workout, children aren’t any different. Movement during storytime is important but more specifically, mindful movement, like yoga, is key. Through engaging yoga poses and interactive stories, we help kids connect their bodies with their minds. This helps to improve not only focus, but comprehension too.
The Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech say, “Movement is essential for brain development and growth… Movement also produces improved blood and oxygen flow to the brain”. Guided yoga poses that correspond to what’s happening in the story help children get rid of those “wiggles” and help them focus and improve the connection to what they’re hearing in the story.
It’s a great way to get blood flowing to their bodies and brains and get them ready to learn.
What’s more, Harvard Health dubs yoga weightlifting for the brain. When you do yoga, your brain cells make new connections and grow stronger.
Yoga strengthens the parts of the brain that are important for memory, attention, and language! This is why yoga storytime is so effective for young learners. It encourages retention of the story and lesson and is an important part of the Mindful Play Learning curriculum.
We carefully select books based on the theme of the week and that will resonate with young learners. The book “You Are a Little Seed” by Sook-Hee Choi is a great book for yoga storytime. This would be perfect for Garden theme week. The children may be guided into child’s pose to mimic being a little seed, to go along with the story.
For Farm week, we could read Mrs. Wishy-Washy's Farm by Joy Cowley from the book list and choose to be a cow by entering Cow Pose. The pose goes along with what’s happening in the story, which improves connection to what’s being learned while teaching a quintessential yoga pose.
While there are book selections curated for each theme week, any story can be turned into a yoga play story. Through yoga, we are able to teach children to be present, understand their emotions, and develop a love for reading. If you’re looking to try yoga storytime, there are lesson plans and yoga pose card decks available to purchase on our website!
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