HAPPIERHEALTHIERSMARTER

JULIE CLARK

LYMAN ELEMENTARY

IS THIS WHAT YOU SEE?

PARENTS… TEACHERS…

BUT YOU WANT TO SEE THIS INSTEAD?

WOULD YOU LIKE…

…TO BE HAPPIER?

…YOUR CHILDREN TO BE BETTER BEHAVED?

…YOUR CHILDREN TO HAVE BETTER SUCCESS IN SCHOOL?

…TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO COPE WITH STRESS BETTER?

…TO BE ABLE TO REMEMBER THESE THOUGHTS TOMORROW?

IF YOU ANSWERED YES TO ANY OF THE ABOVE QUESTIONS, THEN KEEP

READING…

DID YOU KNOW…THE NEW SCIENCE OF

EXERCISE

~OAKLANDER (2016)

EXERCISE BENEFITS EVERY AREA OF

YOUR LIFE – PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY,

SOCIALLY, SPIRITUALLY.

OAKLANDER CITED BERRYMAN (2016)

‘“PEOPLE THINK NOW, BECAUSE OF

THE HEALTH-CLUB AND FITNESS

MOVEMENT, THAT IN ORDER TO

EXERCISE YOU NEED TO JOIN A FANCY

CLUB AND WEAR FANCY CLOTHES,”

SAYS BERRYMAN. IN FACT, SOME OF

THE BEST EXERCISE, RESEARCH IS

SHOWING, DOESN’T REQUIRE A GYM

MEMBERSHIP AT ALL” (PARA. 33).

“EATING ALONE WILL NOT KEEP A

MAN WELL,” HIPPOCRATES FAMOUSLY

WROTE. “HE MUST ALSO TAKE

EXERCISE” (PARA. 12).

…EXERCISE MAKES YOU SMARTER…

~BERGLAND (2013)

THE ARTICLE IS FILLED WITH FUN

SCIENTIFIC-Y FACTS, BUT THE BOTTOM

LINE IS THAT WHEN YOU GET YOUR

HEART PUMPING YOUR BODY MAKES

MORE MOLECULES THAT CREATE MORE

NEURONS WHICH HELP YOU LEARN

AND REMEMBER INFORMATION BETTER.

THE OPPOSITE HAPPENS WHEN YOU

DON’T EXERCISE, AND IT’S EVEN

WORSE IF YOU ARE STRESSED OUT.

YOUR BODY MAKES A HORMONE

CALLED CORTISOL THAT PROHIBITS

YOUR MEMORY FROM WORKING

CORRECTLY.

BETTER MOTOR SKILL = BETTER SCORES

~BERGLAND (2013)

“AS AMERICAN CHILDREN BECOME LESS

ACTIVE AND SPEND MORE HOURS EACH DAY

IN FRONT OF A SCREEN, IT APPEARS THAT

THEIR CEREBRAL AND CEREBELLAR FUNCTION

IS DECLINING. THERE IS GROWING EVIDENCE

OF THE LINK BETWEEN IMPROVED MOTOR

SKILLS, DEXTERITY, AND COGNITION” (PARA.

3).

“TEACHERS AND PARENTS SHOULD STRIVE TO

INCLUDE DAILY ACTIVITIES AND TAKE STEPS

TO SUPPORT NOT ONLY THE DEVELOPMENT

OF READING, ARITHMETIC ETC. BUT MAKE

SURE TO INCLUDE TIME EACH DAY FOCUSED

ON MOVEMENT SKILLS AND PHYSICAL

ACTIVITY” (PARA. 13).

I PERFORMED A SIMILAR STUDY WITHIN OUR

PE CLASSES WHERE I COMPARED OUR

KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS’ LOCOMOTOR

SKILLS WITH THEIR MAP TEST SCORES. SEE

COACH CLARK FOR MORE INFORMATION!

• “THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION RECENTLY

REVIEWED 50 STUDIES AND CONCLUDED THAT EXERCISE AND

MOVEMENT ARE POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH LEARNING. AMONG

THEM, STUDENTS TEND TO FOCUS MORE AND BE LESS FIDGETY AFTER

RECESS ONCE THEY’VE BURNED THROUGH SOME OF THEIR EXCESS

ENERGY AND REDUCE STRESS. AND BECAUSE THE BRAIN IS MORE

ACTIVATED DURING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, STUDENTS WHO ARE

PHYSICALLY ACTIVE OFTEN HAVE HIGHER TEST SCORES AND A MORE

POSITIVE OUTLOOK TOWARD SCHOOL, AND TYPICALLY ACHIEVE

HIGHER ACADEMIC PERFORMANCES” (KIRBY, 2017).

• “PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ALSO HAS BRAIN HEALTH BENEFITS FOR SCHOOL-

AGED CHILDREN, INCLUDING IMPROVED COGNITION AND REDUCED

SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION. EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT BOTH ACUTE

BOUTS AND REGULAR MODERATE-TO-VIGOROUS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

IMPROVE THE COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS OF MEMORY, EXECUTIVE

FUNCTION, PROCESSING SPEED, ATTENTION, AND ACADEMIC

PERFORMANCE FOR THESE CHILDREN (U.S. DEPT. OF HEALTH & HUMAN

SERVICES, 2018, P. 47).”

IDEAS FOR THE CLASSROOM

ELA

• ASSIGN DIFFERENT MOVES FOR EACH LETTER

OF THE ALPHABET, I.E. JUMP FOR “A”, SQUAT

FOR “B”, ETC.

• USE WHEN SAYING ABC’S OR SPELLING

VOCAB WORDS

• USE BODY TO MAKE SHAPES OF LETTERS

• JUMP TO THE SYLLABLES OF WORDS

• ACT OUT VERBS

HTTPS://WWW.TEACHHUB.COM/TOP-12-

CLASSROOM-FITNESS-ACTIVITIES

MATH

• WHEN LEARNING NUMBERS, PICK AN EXERCISE TO HELP

WITH COUNTING

• HAVE STUDENTS STAND, THEN JUMP THE SOLUTION

WHEN THEY KNOW IT

• USE JUMPING DISTANCE OR HEIGHT FOR MEASUREMENT

• FOR SORTING, HAVE STUDENTS GROUP THEMSELVES

BASED ON HEIGHT, HAIR COLOR, JEANS, LONG SLEEVES,

ETC.

• HAVE STUDENTS KEEP TRACK OF SCREEN TIME, ACTIVITY

TIME, SLEEP TIME, THEN GRAPH IT AND COMPARE

CONDRON (2019)

FOR THE

PARENTS

• INDOOR OBSTACLE COURSE

• OUTDOOR OBSTACLE COURSE

• TIC-TAC-TOE WITH A FRISBEE/SOCK BALL/ TAPE BALL

• KEEP IT UP WITH A BALLOON (INSIDE) OR BEACH BALL

(OUTSIDE)

• DANCING

• TEMPER TANTRUM – A PERSONAL FAVORITE. MAY WANT TO

DO IT OUTSIDE IF NOISE BOTHERS YOU. RUN AROUND

YELLING/SCREAMING, KICKING, THROWING PUNCHES ALL TO

THE AIR OF COURSE, AND IT WORKS FOR ADULTS TOO

• OLD STAND-BYS - HOT POTATO, FOLLOW THE LEADER, TAG

HTTPS://WWW.FAMILYFUNTWINCITIES.COM/PHYSICAL-

ACTIVITIES-FOR-KIDS/

IDEAS IN THE AREA…

• IN DISTRICT 5: HTTP://D5REBELS.COM/

OUR VERY OWN DISTRICT’S YOUTH SPORTS

PROGRAM CATERS TO STUDENTS KINDERGARTEN

THROUGH 6TH GRADE. THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO

SUPPORT DISTRICT 5 SPORTS, EXPOSE YOUR

CHILD TO A PLETHORA OF ACTIVITIES, AND

VOLUNTEER AS WELL. FROM PERSONAL

EXPERIENCE – I HAVE EITHER COACHED,

VOLUNTEERED AS A PARENT, OR SUPPORTED

ONE OF MY CHILDREN IN 7 OF THE PROGRAMS

OUR DISTRICT OFFERS. EVERY PROGRAM IS

ORGANIZED, FUN FOR THE KIDS, AND PROVIDES

AT LEAST 3 HOURS OF ACTIVITY A WEEK.

• IN SPARTANBURG: TRAILS & PARKS

COTTONWOOD TRAIL

HTTPS://WWW.SPARTANBURGCONSERVATIO

N.ORG/COTTONWOOD-TRAIL

MIDDLE TIGER PARK

HTTP://SPARTANBURGPARKS.ORG/343/TYGE

R-RIVER-PARK

CROFT STATE PARK

HTTPS://SOUTHCAROLINAPARKS.COM/CROFT

REFERENCES

45+ FUN PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES, CATEGORIZED. (2019) RETRIEVED FROM

HTTPS://WWW.FAMILYFUNTWINCITIES.COM/PHYSICAL-ACTIVITIES-FOR-KIDS/

BERGLAND, C. (2013) BETTER MOTOR SKILLS LINKED TO HIGHER ACADEMIC SCORES. PSYCHOLOGY TODAY.

RETRIEVED FROM HTTPS://WWW.PSYCHOLOGYTODAY.COM/US/BLOG/THE-ATHLETES-WAY/201310/BETTER-

MOTOR-SKILLS-LINKED-HIGHER-ACADEMIC-SCORES

BERGLAND, C. (2013) SCIENTISTS DISCOVER WHY EXERCISE MAKES YOU SMARTER. PSYCHOLOGY TODAY.

RETRIEVED FROM HTTPS://WWW.PSYCHOLOGYTODAY.COM/US/BLOG/THE-ATHLETES-

WAY/201310/SCIENTISTS-DISCOVER-WHY-EXERCISE-MAKES-YOU-SMARTER

CONDRON, A. (2019) TOP 12 CLASSROOM FITNESS ACTIVITIES. RETRIEVED FROM

HTTPS://WWW.TEACHHUB.COM/TOP-12-CLASSROOM-FITNESS-ACTIVITIES

KIRBY, A. (2017) STATES SLOWLY EMBRACE MANDATORY RECESS. K-12 DAILY. RETRIEVED FROM

HTTPS://WWW.CABINETREPORT.COM/CURRICULUM-INSTRUCTION/STATES-SLOWLY-EMBRACE-MANDATORY-

RECESS

OAKLANDER, M. (2016) THE NEW SCIENCE OF EXERCISE. TIME. RETRIEVED FROM

HTTP://TIME.COM/4475628/THE-NEW-SCIENCE-OF-EXERCISE/?SCRLYBRKR=C276743C#

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (2018) PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS,

2ND EDITION. RETRIEVED FROM HTTPS://HEALTH.GOV/PAGUIDELINES/SECOND-

EDITION/PDF/PHYSICAL_ACTIVITY_GUIDELINES_2ND_EDITION.PDF