Research Archives -

How Movement Shapes Children’s Learning and Development

How Childhood Development Through Embodied Cognition Can Help Schools Better Support Learning and Emotional Growth Jason Phillips, Contributor July 15, 2026, 10:52 a.m. ET As neuroscience and developmental research seem to continue to advance, educators and health professionals appear to be revisiting long-held assumptions about how children learn. Athena Oden, pediatric physical therapist and founder of …

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Why the Future Education Depends on Restoring Child Development Before Raising Academic Expectations in Early Childhood

Research

Athena Oden, Pediatric Physical Therapist, argues that many classroom challenges stem from developmental gaps rather than student deficits, calling for a renewed focus on whole-body development in early education. written by Adam Bent June 18, 2026 For many young children, the first signs of school difficulty appear long before they can be measured through grades or test …

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Motor Lab Research

Research

Action Research Project, Bulverde Elementary School, Comal ISD, TexasDr. Denise Kern In October of 2002, Athena Oden, creator of Ready Bodies, Learning Minds, and Dr. Denise Kern, Principal of Bulverde Elementary School in Comal Independent School District, began a controlled research project into the effectiveness of the motor lab developed by Athena Oden, physical therapist. …

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A Classroom Full of Embodied Beings: An Anthropological Discussion

Research

A Classroom Full of Embodied Beings: An Anthropological DiscussionAthena Oden, PT(Publish copy: The Journal, a publication of the Society of Classical Learning, Winter 2017) In a room full of desks and chairs, carefully aligned, twenty second graders sit with their feet on the ground and hands carefully folded. It’s time for the daily math lesson, …

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Motor Lab in the Ready Room!

Research, Testimonials

Athena and Ready Bodies, Learning Minds is so excited to see the motor lab idea in practice at Abilene Education Foundation at Ward Elementary! How exciting that they are already seeing the difference it can make with students! “Many of us take for granted how our bodies operate, and especially how the experiences our bodies …

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