Thoughts and Reasoning
Our children need exercise in school today as they need the core classes of reading, writing, and mathematics. How can we teach our kids that physical inactivity is the second greatest killer in the United States behind tobacco use? Sure we can talk about it in the classroom. But as a kid I enjoyed going outside for recess and having gym class. Now our school systems are cutting back on even having recess. Just how does that teach our kids that you need some fun, play and exercise to help you brain? Our children are hurting because of it! As a young child in kindergarten I remember getting a recess, snack time and nap time with an every other day either activity play or gym and music. This was in a half days time. In an article by Stephanie Pappas in Live Science, a student talked about the difference one year change. Let me set the stage for you, Nadav a boy in first grade who is six years old started coming home from school with discipline warnings from his teachers. This perplexed his parents as it was the same teacher he had for kindergarten. So the parents sat Nadav down and talked to him. Gilboa, his mother is a family medicine doctor who also was a consultant on askdoctor.com. It is kind of scary how this child answered, Why the change in behavior from a year ago? He said, "In kindergarten we had recess twice a day and we went to gym twice a week. Now we have gym class once every six days and recess split with lunch for 15 minutes a day." (Pappas.Stephanie. Live Science.2011.) So Nadav is explained that he is getting bored and with the less exercise his mind is wondering along with his body needing to move also. How would your body adjust to this change? I can see his point and why our kids need exercise and recess in their everyday lives especially in school. I know if I am in the office or typing a paper for school I need a break and time to move about. I get uptight and restless. So, why would we expect our 6 year old children to not do the same. Attentions span in a child is 3 to 5 minutes times the child's age, so a six year old is about 15 minutes minimum. If I am an elementary teacher of first graders and have eight hours in a day to teach. I have my core subjects I need to teach, reading, writing, math. How can I not get that all in with eight hours along with a recess, fun time activity and gym or music time? It says our students attention span is only going to be 15-18 minutes long anyways!
Mind Power
Our youth of today are having their minds over worked with all school and no play. The kids need to be able to have imagination time to let their brains move freely just as their heart and bodies need to be able to run. What a great quote I read from another person, "The longer children and teens are forced to sit and grow roots in their chairs, the harder it will be for them to bloom." (Spark. 2012)
Are kids aren't underacheivers nor are the not smart it is because the system is working against them. The Center for Disease and Control states this about physical activity, "physical activity can have an impact on cognitive skills and attitudes and academic behavior, all of which are important components of improved academic performance. These include enhanced concentration and attention as well as improved classroom behavior.” (Spark) so why would we cut physical activity down to almost nothing in our schools? It was shown in the example I gave above about Nadav, that cutting his physical activity lead him to behavioral problems. As a future educator, I feel we need to put the enjoyment back in our school systems and let kids be kids. Let them play some, have recess, don't cut their physical education or music classes. Let's help grow their minds instead of rooting them to a chair in a classroom.
References
Patterson. Joan. (July 14, 2013). Las Vegas Review-Journal: Many Schools Cutting Back on Physical Education. Retrieved January 18, 2017 from http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/education/many-schools-cutting-back-physical-education
Papas, Stephanie. (August 14, 2011). Live Science: As Schools Cut Recess, Kids' Learning Will Suffer, Experts Say. Retrieved January 25, 2017 from http://www.livescience.com/15555-schools-cut-recess-learning-suffers.html.
Spark. (April, 19, 2012). How Does Physical Activity Affect Academic Performance? Retrieved January 25, 2017 from http://www.sparkpe.org/blog/how-physical-activity-affects-academic-performance/
