ABMOVE! e aspetti motori

The ABMOVE! project’s active breaks consist of short sessions of physical activity, lasting approximately 10 minutes, held during math lessons to integrate movement with cognitive learning. The goal is to improve mathematical skills, increase concentration, reduce anxiety, and promote students’ physical and mental well-being. The activities focus on fundamental motor skills such as walking, running, jumping, rolling, crawling, climbing, throwing, and catching, which have been shown to support executive functions and learning processes. The motor skills offered have been adapted based on age, individual abilities, and the characteristics of the class, in an inclusive teaching approach. Students with specific learning disabilities or disabilities can also participate thanks to the ability to modify the movements. School age is a crucial period for the development of motor skills (Barnett et al., 2016; Battaglia et al., 2021), as the acquisition of skills such as balance, intersegmental and locomotor coordination, object control, and manipulation fosters the development of complex motor patterns useful for future learning (Navarra et al. 2022). The choice of these movements in the ABMOVE! project is based on the results of numerous studies that have shown that developing motor coordination stimulates higher-order cognitive functions, such as planning, reasoning, and problem solving, improving academic performance in subjects such as mathematics and reading. Each AB Move break is divided into an initial activation phase (ABstart) lasting approximately 1.5 minutes. This consists of a short musical motif, the same for all activities, associated with movements of certain body parts. This is followed by the central active break phase, lasting approximately 8-9 minutes, described in the worksheet, which is based on the mathematics curriculum. The final phase (ABstop) involves a return to calm and concentration through listening to a relaxing piece of music combined with breathing and mobility movements for specific body segments. The methodologies adopted emphasize play and active involvement, creating a motivating and inclusive environment that enhances learning and psychophysical well-being.