Kids who exercise could have increased test scores in school!

Study: Incorporating exercise into academic lessons boosts test scores

Melissa Jenco, News Content Editor

Students earned higher test scores in math and spelling after exercise was incorporated into their lessons for two years, a new study found.

“These findings suggest physically active academic lessons should be part of the school curriculum because it is an innovative and effective way for teachers to improve children’s academic achievement,” researchers said in the study “Physically Active Math and Language Lessons Improve Academic Achievement: A Cluster RCT” (Mullender-Wijnsma MJ, et al. Pediatrics. Feb. 24, 2016, http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2016/02/22/peds.2015-2743.

Previous studies found that children’s engagement and functioning levels improved shortly after exercising, so the team set out to see if prolonged periods of physical activity would have similar effects on reading, spelling and math performance.

They developed math and language lessons that incorporated moderate to vigorous exercise and implemented them into second- and third-grade classrooms in the Netherlands. For example, children learning to multiply two times four would jump on a spot eight times when solving the problem.

Children in the intervention group took part in these lessons three times a week, 22 weeks a year for two years. Meanwhile, a control group used traditional sedentary lessons with the same amount of instruction time. Achievement was measured before the study and after the first and second years.

After the first year, there were no significant effects on math speed and spelling test scores. However, after year two, physically active students gained at least four months more learning than the control group, according to the study.

In general math, student performance continue reading...

For potentially increased results incorporate healthy snacks into a child's agenda with the GREAT Kids Snack Box!