Ready, Set, Move!!!
Students spend over half their day in school. When they go home it is easy for them to curl up on the sofa with an electronic devise or just zone into TV land.
Most often hurried lifestyles and different family structures allow the importance of physical activity to be neglected. Being active is beneficial for children not only for their bodies but for their minds as well!
Exercise helps with executive functions like sequencing, memory and prioritizing, which contribute to the necessary skills for success in school and in life. It produces endorphins in the brain that regulate mood and an elevated mood can contribute to an "I can do it" attitude. This fresh perspective helps students when they are faced with new tasks and challenges. Students who are physically active tend to have better grades, classroom behaviours and improved cognitive performance in areas like memory and concentration. Simply stated, physical activity in schools primes the brain for learning.
The Ontario government is committed to ensuring that elementary students have plenty of opportunities and supports to be physically active. The Daily Physical Activity Policy (PPM138) was passed to ensure that elementary students have a minimum of 20 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each school day.
As a classroom teacher what can I do?
Getting active in the classroom will help students improve their health, their focus and their academic performance. In addition to physical education and recess, implementing some simple fitness activities either at the beginning of the school day or taking mini physical activity breaks throughout the instruction time will ensure that students are increasing their amount of daily exercise and keeping physically and mentally fit. Some activities could include dancing, stretching, jumping maybe even do The Conga! Basically, anything creative that will get them up out of their seat and moving!
Lisa@NU
No comments:
Post a Comment