Physical Movement

Physical Movement in the Classroom

Bayfield Middle School students are on the move!!  Many teachers attended a “Take 10: Integrating Physical Activity in the Schools” training this summer, and as a result, students and staff are becoming more active during the school day through movement breaks and increased participation at recess.

Overview:  

TAKE10 is a classroom-based physical activity program, developed by the ILSI Research Foundation with the assistance of health professionals and education experts, combining academic instruction with 10 minutes physical activity breaks to get kids moving without sacrificing time dedicated to academic learning.  

Benefits:  

• Improves Cognitive Function
• Pushes “reset button” for attention span
• Reduces behavior and discipline issues
• Creates positive school climate
• Movement contributes to school performance

Research

• SPARK - The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey, MD
• “...Uncovers startling research to prove that exercise is truly our best defense against everything from mood disorders to Alzheimer’s to ADHD to addiction.”
• …case studies include “fitness program at Naperville, Illinois school district of 19,000 kids, which ranks highest in the world in science test scores…” and Titusville, Pennsylvania school district, whose 2600 students rose from “below state average to 17 percent above it in reading and 18 percent above it in math.” (Ratey, 2008)