Friday, October 13, 2006

Cancel Recess? Surely They're not serious!

Creghton Elementary in Phoenix just cancelled morning and afternoon recess. Whitman-Hanson Regional School District in Massachusetts cancelled morning recess for all its elementary schools. The Frank M. Silvia School in Atlanta just cut back recess.

They're not alone. In every Brain Gym class I teach, teachers report that their school has just cancelled recess or cut out gym.

What's next? Tying kids to their seats? Gluing their arms to their desks?

What are they thinking? Scientists and child development experts have known for years that physical movement is crucial to brain development and learning.

Think about it. How many times have you gotten stuck on some thorny problem so you take a break, get up and move around or take a walk. And then get back to it and sure enough, it's easier.

Luckily for our kids, The American Academy of Pediatrics just issued a report that free play involving physical movement is necessary for kids. And some academic types are doing the research. They're proving what we've known all along: recess helps kids focus more and fidget less. And that equals more learning.

Make no mistake. Moving is a crucial brain-based-learning strategy.

Find out more at http://www.topix.net/med/pediatrics?full=c537a34e4c

Discover movements that improve learning for you and your kids at the FREE Introduction to Brain Gym TeleChat on October 18, 6 pm mountain time.
Sign up at www.brain-based-learning.com/registerFreeBGIntro.htm

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