Morning exercise positively affects focus and performance
Helloooo parents of children with ADHD type behaviors!! Parents consistently come to Better Beginnings with concerns about their child's ability to pay attention in school, and with homework at home. This article in the New York times outlines research from a study published in the Journal Of Pediatrics. The research shows that approximately 11% of children between the ages of 4 and 17 has been diagnosed with ADHD, and this diagnosis is only growing in numbers.
"Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign recruited 40 8-to-10-year-old boys and girls, half of whom had A.D.H.D. They all took a series of computerized academic and attentional tests. Later, on one occasion they sat and read quietly for 20 minutes; on another, they walked briskly or jogged for 20 minutes on treadmills. After each task, the children wore caps containing electrodes that recorded electrical activity in the brain as they repeated the original tests."
"...all [children] showed marked improvements in their math and reading comprehension scores after the exercise. More striking, the children with A.D.H.D. significantly increased their scores on a complicated test,...." "Brain-wave readings showed that after exercise, the children with A.D.H.D. were better able to regulate their behavior, which helped them pay attention. They responded more nimbly to mistakes like incorrect keystrokes. In short, the children with A.D.H.D. were better students academically after exercise. So were the students without A.D.H.D."
Posted on September 14, 2014
Link to Original Article
Establishing Bedtime Routines for Children
Sleep is an essential part of our day to ensure we are healthy and ready to engage in what life has to offer. Going to sleep and getting enough sleep are important skills for children to learn. Optimal sleep helps to ensure that children are able to play and ready to participate in daily activities at school or at home, and it promotes growth and development. Parents often struggle with bedtime routines and making sure children go to bed at a reasonable time. A bedtime routine can help both parents and children make the daily activity of going to sleep a pleasant experience. Sleep is one of the many daily occupations (activities) that occupational therapy practitioners help to promote. The following tips are from pediatric occupational therapy practitioners who have experience with educating parents on promoting healthy daily routines, including bedtime.
Posted on April 1, 2014
Link to Original Article
Helping Students Focus & Stay Seated
It can be hard for a special student to focus or sit still in class or at a table. While medication can be very helpful for many it is not an option for all children. This article lists ideas and products have helped many special students focus and stay seated.
Posted on February 13, 2014
Link to Original Article