Most parents are considerably worried how they’ll be able to afford sending their kids to college, especially in the economic times we’re facing today. But what if you found a better way to “save” for your kid’s college education through practicing two things? Would you do it? And what if you found a way for your child to learn more effectively in the classroom? Would you be willing to be a pioneer for change in the outdated academic setting that is way overdue for drastic change?
Science has proven that children, who are nutritionally fed and stay physically active during the learning process, are more likely to have higher test scores and better opportunities academically. Now think about that statement for a moment and ask yourself two questions about your children’s current academic setting:
*Does my school serve “healthy lunches and snacks” or am I sending my child to school with a healthy lunch/snack? By healthy, I’m implying that the food served is not processed, fried and/or sugar coated but is whole, fresh food. Most importantly, does the school promote or allow soda vending machines/sugary drinks and junk food snacks? If a school systems allows us to feed our kids junk during the day, shame on them.
*How often, throughout each class, is my child physically moving and interacting? If your kid is sitting still for more than about 25 minutes, that’s too long. If PE is one class during the day, that’s not enough. If the teacher's academic plan doesn’t include intermittent physical activity but requires that students “sit still”, that’s ridiculous.
While order and organization are both necessary in a classroom, we’ve got it all wrong when we misunderstand the benefit of keeping kids “moving” while learning, as well as keeping their brains “fed”.
Exercise increases intelligence
A study by the Department of Kinesiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, investigated the relationship between age, aerobic fitness, and cognitive function by comparing high- and low-fit preadolescent children and adults. The study revealed the following:
“These findings suggest that fitness was positively associated with neuroelectric indices of attention and working memory, and response speed in children. Fitness was also associated with cognitive processing speed, but these findings were not age-specific. These data indicate that fitness may be related to better cognitive functioning in preadolescents and have implications for increasing cognitive health in children and adults.” (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16286868)
The Stroop Test & Exercise
There are several ways in which to measure intelligence, but one method known as The Stroop Test has been widely used since 1935. Using random color names, printed against opposite colors (for example, white is printed in the color red, etc.) the subject is presented with the task of identifying the color while overcoming ignoring the printed name. The results have shown it takes more time to switch the brain from being able to differentiate between the two while answering correctly. The purpose of the test is to determine “habitual responses” (reading) over less familiar/challenging tasks, like name the color versus reading the color name.
To test the theory that exercise increases brain intelligence, the Stroop Test was administered using teenaged children who were more physically fit. The results revealed that the more fit the student the higher they scored.
“A study published in the January 2008 issue of "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise" examined the relationship between aerobic fitness in adolescents and their performance on the Stroop Test. Researchers concluded that teens with higher levels of fitness performed better on the test than those with lower fitness levels.”
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/543538-does-exercise-affect-intelligence/#ixzz25gOAFeV1
Fitter kids = better academic scores
The annual Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Meeting in Denver (May 1, 2011) revealed an amazing transformation and increased test scores when incorporating exercise and fitness in grade-school children: Scores were raised dramatically when fitness was incorporated with learning (from 55% to 68.5%). Teachers and students both benefit when incorporating fitness within the academic process. The more oxygen is supplied to the brain, the better. Short, intermittent breaks involving physical activity would do wonders in our children’s educational experience. Why educators have not fully incorporated this concept is beyond me.
I can personally attest to the academic benefits when incorporating fitness during the educational process. One of my children was diagnosed with ADHD and had fallen behind in school. Upon taking him out of the normal academic setting into a homeschooling atmosphere, I was able to integrate fitness and healthy snacks during his day. The results were dramatic: His reading level and test scores were above his peers by three grade levels at the end of the first year. You could say it was due to him having one on one education, but in truth, you can’t force someone to learn/absorb information. Period. What I did to incur such dramatic results was two things:
1) I taught him in 15-20 minute increments. After each session, he was given a quick fitness break or fed a small snack (i.e. Run in place, go outside and run around, eat an apple, etc). Not only did he benefit physically, his attention span increased, and his hypertension reduced.
2) Healthy snacks = A healthy brain. The brain, especially in the morning, needs healthy carbohydrates. Stabilizing blood glucose in the body through consuming healthy snacks benefits the brain.
3) The academic setting may not seem like a well suited one for what I’m recommending, but I cannot see why it would not be if given an opportunity to be tested. The average attention span of the brain is about 8 minutes. When we physically move, our brain’s hippocampus kicks into gear regenerating brain function. Demanding that anyone sit in one position and learn is outdated and doesn’t work for the majority of people. Academically it doesn’t make sense demanding more than what is natural or helpful to the body and the brain.
I’ve always said if the “smartest” amongst us only represents a small percentage of the population then something is horribly wrong with our academic structure. If a homeschooling mom can figure out that concept, then so should our school system.
Quick Tips for Wellness: Parents are a child’s ultimate teacher. Get involved (i.e. volunteer, be active in the PTA, offer your time and talent) in your child’s academic setting and don’t settle for anything less than what is in the best interest of their education.
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