Exercise Helps!

In the article "A Brain Tonic for Children" by Gretchen Reynolds found in the New York Times on 10/14/14, a study was done that show physical activity helps brain function.  The University of Illinois did a study with 220 students that were 8 to 9 years old.  They divided the group in half.  The control group just did what they did every day after school while the others worked on physical activity.

What a shock to find, "The students who attended the most exercise sessions showed greater
 improvements in their cognitive scores."

The students that exercised were given heart monitors and pedometers.  They were guided through activities like tag how to dribble a soccer ball.  Over all they exerciser about 70 minutes and covered over two miles.

So if you are in a district where they are cutting back on PE classes and having shorter recesses, you can improve your student test scores by having them workout every day.  So start a run club for once or twice a week, start a walking group at lunch.  Take a break and do physical exercise while learning the times tables or just counting.

If students in your classroom are not exercising after school you really need to add  some in your teaching day.  Think about it, you both will benefit.

Students with ADHD in Your Classroom

Do you have trouble with those students who just can stay in their seat.  They seem to be jumping up and out of control most of the time.  Now there is research that shows, "Exercise Helps Children With ADHD."

This was found in the Wall Street Journal, Sept 8, 2014, in an article written by Sumathi Reddi, "Exercise Helps Children with ADHD in Study".  Listen to this, "half-hour sessions of aerobic activity before school helped you children with symptom of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder become more attentive and less moody."

Wow, do parents and teachers love this new development. When I had students who knew they were in trouble, feeling out of control, I opened my classroom door and told them run to the gate and back.  I would then ask, "how do you feel now?" Most were able to go back to their seat and start working on their classwork.

Many schools have cut back on time for PE, recess, lunch to fit in all the new common core standards.  This is trouble.  We need our students running.

So take short exercise breaks through out the day.  Have your class do 'jumping jacks', run in place, hop up and down (great way to do some counting in a k or 1 class), etc.  When ever I have a student who just can't sit still i have them move.  Usually they can relax and do class work after that.

Ask parents if their child could run for 1/2 before school each day.  Let me know if it works.

The Best Language for Math

This is an article written by Sue Shellenbarger in the Wall Street Journal on Sept 10, 2014.  The opening sums it up quite well, "What's the best language for learning math?  Hint:  You're not reading it."

English has confusing terms in it for children to learn while learning numbers.  Eleven - this is a whole new word for English learners. Other languages see 11 as ten one. Numbers over 10 need to label place value.  Seventeen and seventy one are easily reversed.

Experts find that "these may seem like small issues, but the additional mental steps needed to solve problems cause more errors and drain working memory capacity."

Math video games that can help include:

• Addition Blocks by Fluency Games
• Hungry Guppy by Motion Math
• Hungry Fish by Motion Math
• Match by Motion Math
• Addimal Adventure by Teachley
• Monster School Bus by new Mexico State University Learning Games Lab

Let me know if you check out any of these games and would recommend them.