Active classrooms in Cobb County keep students moving while learning

COBB COUNTY, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - This year, Cobb County is integrating action-based learning into its curriculum at Compton Elementary in Powder Springs.

The school got a brand-new classroom outfitted with fitness equipment and hands-on learning activities that test students' reading and math abilities all while playing games.

Teachers said this helps them assess a student without them realizing they're being tested.

Additionally, fine-tuning motor skills help students be able to write better and learn more information at a quicker pace. Compton Elementary School Principal Beth Laid said this new action-based learning lab is an essential way to close gaps in students' learning and get them to the level of reading and writing they need to be at for their grade level.

"For every one minute of movement, you have three minutes of learning attention span," said Principal Lair. "So we know if we incorporate movement into our learning tasks at Compton, we know we are going to have more highly engaged students," said Lair.

Compton Elementary is also incorporating a "Math 360" classroom for second graders. The classroom has whiteboards for each student to stand at and do math problems while the teacher watches.

"The students will be standing at the board instead of sitting at their desks, so they'll be able to see what each other's doing, they'll learn from one another," said second-grade teacher Lauren Debruyn.

The school also has an action-based learning mobile cart that can travel to other classrooms to bring hands-on learning into any environment.