Spatial Awareness and Learning Acceleration (Virginia)

Profile

Riverdale Elementary School is a public school in Southampton County, VA, and serves 500 students in Pre-K to 5th grade.

Kaci Keech is a first grade teacher in Southampton County, VA, with 21 years of instructional experience.

“With Whole Brain Teaching, we use a lot of movements. That’s really where [Walkabouts] fits in for me … I [can] use the Walkabouts movements, … and it keeps it consistent when we return to that topic later.”

“For teachers who are considering [Walkabouts], it’s definitely worth giving it a try. You’ll get more out of it than just something for your kids to get up and move to.”

– Kaci Keech

Challenge

Like other schools across the country, Riverdale Elementary faced strict COVID-19 restrictions as students returned to in-person learning. Southampton County Public Schools looked for in-person resources to reacclimate their students to life in the classroom. First grade teacher, Kaci Keech, observed her students struggling with the spacing restrictions that required 3 to 6 feet of space between students because they had never experienced a classroom setting. On a personal level, Keech wanted a resource to support her as she utilized the Whole Brain Teaching model with her first graders.

Solution

After hearing about Walkabouts and its accompanying Walksheets, Keech decided to jump right in with the Walkabouts platform. She noted that Walkabouts consistently matched the Whole Brain approach. Additionally, she saw her students using the digital resources they had become accustomed to while also creating spatial awareness with movement.

Additional Outcomes

Students in Keech’s classroom are using Walkabout movements to learn new concepts and accelerate learning post-pandemic. Keech uses both grade-level and Kindergarten Walkabouts activities in her classroom to meet the academic and physical needs of her students. And, her students love it!