What is Embodied Cognition

Embodied cognition is best defined as actions which assist the brain’s cognitive processing as our thoughts are shaped by the types of perceptual and motor experiences we have as we interact each day with the world (Glenberg 2008). The project is rooted in modern neuroscience which notes that: "when we study the brain to look for the networks controlling cognition, we find that all of them are linked in one way or another to sensory systems, motor systems and / or motivational systems” (Tucker, 2007, 59).  For example, if you were explaining the life cycle of a butterfly, you might ask the child to pretend they were a caterpillar eating lettuce; where they also touch and smell and perhaps even eat a piece of lettuce.  The child could flap their arms as a newly emerging butterfly from the chrysalis. The key factor is ‘cognition for action’ (Glenberg 2008, 43), where the child’s body is ‘active’ as they engage with the scientific concepts / skills.