Physical Activity = Smarter Kids
The effects of physical activity on academic perfromance
WHICH BRAIN DO YOU WANT YOUR CHILD TO HAVE???
ENHANCING ACADEMICS THROUGH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
**Students that are more physically active earn better grades, have better school attendance and cognitive performance, and they show more positive classroom behavior.
**Higher fitness scores are associated with better academic scores. In fact, the strongest tie was the relationship between aerobic fitness and mathematics achievement followed by reading performance.
**A child's brain (as seen in the picture above) is much more active after an acute bout of exercise than before exercise takes place.
**A unique finding showed a correlation between academic achievement is stronger when physical activity is performed at moderate to vigorous intensity.
**The CDC recommends children and adolescents get 60 minutes of physical activity every day. The health of a child is a vital factor in their ability to learn and healthy children learn better.
IMPORTANT NOTE - Research concluded that students who are not fit, but become fit over a period of time, can improve academic performance. That being stated, without any remediation program, children who have motor skill deficiencies, will maintain poor academic scores of the years.
CUTTING PHYSICAL EDUCATION TIME TO MAKE ROOM FOR MORE ACADEMIC TIME WILL NOT IMPROVE ACADEMIC SCORES
FACT : 1 in 3 children is physically active every day
Physical Activity
Physical Fitness
Exercise
FACT: CHILDREN SPEND MORE THAN 7.5 HOURS A DAY INFRONT OF SCREEN DEVICES
8 STEPS to Helping Your Child IMPROVE Scores
STEP 1 - What are the results of your child's FAST and FITNESS scores for the Fall? Are they meeting the expectations for a child their age? Specifically, what is the mile time for a boy and PACER length number for a girl. Did you notice high fitness scores and high academic scores or low fitness scores and low academic scores?
STEP 2 - If less than 9 minutes for a boys and 30 PACER lengths for a girl then look at academic scores more in depth. What was the FAST score for math and reading?
STEP 3 - COMMIT to helping your child improve BOTH scores, fitness and academic.
STEP 4 - ASK your child's teacher classroom teacher and PE teacher for advice and commit to making an improvement.
STEP5 - Start with more movement and less screen time. Join the before school activity club and attend at least 3x a week. Continue to track your student's movement time, screen time and test scores whenever possible.
STEP 6 - Encourage your child's classroom teach to get the class moving BEFORE they take a test or any assessment.
STEP 7 - Ask your child how they feel after 1 month of increasing movement to their day. Work with your child daily to improve fitness scores, by practicing together.
STEP 8 - In the Spring, compare the Fall and Spring fitness and academic scores. Is there an improvement?
Studies have indicated that students were significantly more on-task after participating in energizer physical activity breaks
Mrs. Jennifer Peterson
Oskaloosa Elementary School
K-5 Physical Education Teacher
BA, MA University of Northern Iowa
20 years of Physical Education Teaching Experience
Email: petersonj@oskycsd.org
Location: 1801 Orchard Ave, Oskaloosa, IA 52577
Twitter: @oesphysed
REFERENCES
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Caspersen, C. J., Powell, K. E., & Christenson, G. M. (1985). Physical activity, exercise, and physical fitness: definitions and distinctions for health-related research. Public Health Reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974), 100(2), 126–31. https://doi.org/10.2307/20056429
Castelli, Darla M., Elisabeth Glowacki, Jeanne M. Barcelona, H. G. C. (2015). Active Education: Growing Evidence on Physical Activity and Academic Performance. Active Living Research, 1–5.
Centers for Disease Control. (2015, June 04). How much physical activity do children need? Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/children/index.htm
Coe, D., Pivarnik, J., Womack, C., Reeves, M., & Malina, R. (2006). Effect of physical education and activity levels on academic achievement in children. American College of Sports Medicine, 1515–1519. https://doi.org/10.1249/01.mss.0000227537.13175.1b
Ericsson, I., & Karlsson, M. K. (2014). Motor skills and school performance in children with daily physical education in school - a 9-year intervention study. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 24(2), 273–278. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2012.01458.x
HHS Office, & Council on Sports. (2017, January 26). Physical Activity Initiative. Retrieved from https://www.hhs.gov/fitness/be-active/physical-activity-initiative/index.html
Kohl, H. W., Cook, H. D., Van Dusen, D. P., Kelder, S. H., Kohl, H. W., Ranjit, N., & Perry, C. L. (2013). Educating the study body: taking physical activity and physical education to school. Chapter 4: Physical Activity, Fitness, and Physical Education: Effects on Academic Performance. Journal of School Health (Vol. 81). https://doi.org/10.17226/18314
Smith, N. J., & Lounsbery, M. (2009). Promoting Physical Education: The Link to Academic Achievement. JOPERD: The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 80(1), 39–43. https://doi.org/10.1080/07303084.2009.10598266
Spinath, B. (2012). Academic Achievement. Encyclopedia of Human Behavior, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-375000-6.00001-X