Kids walk while listening to fun, standards-aligned educational podcasts in English—great for ESL students!
Teachers frequently report that The Walking Classroom is an invaluable resource for their ESL and English language learners (ELL).
Adjustable audio speeds make it simple for English language learners to slow down the narration and better understand the content. They can also rewind and re-listen to challenging passages.
STEM program podcasts include short Spanish introductions to help Spanish-speaking students more easily grasp the upcoming podcast content.
Listening to these fun, educational podcasts in English while taking a brisk 20-minute walk not only improves their health, it can also contribute to higher test scores, improved attendance, better behavior in class, better engagement and motivation, and a lifetime of healthy habits.
›› Read letters from teachers using the program with their ESL students
So how does The Walking Classroom help ESL students?
Students each get a “WalkKit” audio device (with adjustable audio speeds) preloaded with over 100 custom-written, entertaining, and educational podcasts on science, language arts, and history.
Students go for a brisk 20-minute walk while listening to the English podcasts.›› Listen to a sample podcast on The Human Body’s Slimy Shields (podcasts includes a short introduction in Spanish)
Afterwards, lesson plans and quizzes help educators lead discussions to synthesize and solidify learning.›› Download the Human Body’s Slimy Shields Lesson Plan
But does it work?
Yes! Follow the links below to learn more.
- Read letters from teachers using the program with their ESL students
- Read the results of a research study by researchers at UNC-CH that confirms the impact of The Walking Classroom on learning, health literacy, and physical activity
- Read about the science behind The Walking Classroom
- Read success stories from some of our Walking Classroom adopters
- Read student comments about The Walking Classroom
- Check out our most recent year-end survey results