Saturday, September 3rd, 2016
Stephan: I recently read a report saying that American children today average only 8 minutes a day in outdoor activity, and another report stating that many public and charter schools are cutting out recess unstructured outdoor play. Instead American children average 7 to 8 hours a day sitting in front of some kind of screen. This trend is not without consequences as this story explains, and the long term implications are very alarming.
If you are a parent of small children, or are involved with elementary schools in some way, I urge you do anything you can to see that children in your sphere get more outdoor spontaneous unstructured physical play. Why unstructured? Because such activity stimulates imagination, and results in a worldview that is more flexible and inclusive. Research makes it very clear that the work of childhood is play, the more spontaneous and unstructured the better.
A “concerning” number of today’s four-year-olds are not physically ready to start school, new research has revealed, with children’s mobility levels said to be at an all-time low. (emphasis added)
Early-years specialists monitoring children of school age found a higher number experience problems with their balance and coordination than previously thought, ultimately affecting their ability to learn in class. Researchers from the University of Loughborough said the increase was partly a result of modern children being less active in their early years compared with previous decades, with typical movements associated with play and development reduced by the introduction of electronic toys and screens.
Tests to assess Foundation Stage children’s physical development at the start of the first school year found almost a third to be “of concern” for lack of motor skills and reflexes. Almost 90 per cent of children demonstrated some degree of movement difficulty for their age.
The tests suggest up to 30 per cent of children are starting school with symptoms typically associated with dyslexia, dyspraxia, and ADHD – conditions which can be improved with the correct levels of physical activity, experts say.
Dr Rebecca Duncombe, who […]
