Education is re-examining itself in
light of new research that shows that 'tall' desks, not regulation, school desks, are of significant benefit for children's overall health and learning
success. ... Who knew? ... It would seem that the commerce machine has
done such an incredible job of marketing their 'arsenal of personal
and business tools' that we have forgotten that man was made for
walking and moving, throughout the day.
Movement = childhood health. It is that
simple. Many educational jurisdictions have cancelled recess (15
minutes x 2 per day) to provide more time for 'academic' teaching,
the real deal in education, it would seem. ... Is 'book learning' that
sacred? ... We must know, by now, the value being discarded when recess
is cancelled. How many studies on recess must be done before it is placed in its proper exalted position? Outside free time is the greatest teacher of all, for young
children. Having been a special education high school teacher, elementary school parent volunteer and mom to 3 'former' premature infant boys, I have
seen the magic unfold during free time with these adults-in-training.
Recess is nothing to joke about, anymore. It is a critical part of a child's day, everyday. Movement is not just about burning calories, it is also about mental and physical health, good habits, longevity and socialization among peer groups. Recess is also a barometer of 'real life' outside of the classroom, a teaching and assessment tool for our children. ... Are we short changing their futures by creating this learning curve imbalance? Who decided that recess was next on the chopping block for educational cuts? Are 'tall' desks, a knee-jerk reaction to the cancellation of recess, the overuse of indoor gadgets and being at the computer, seated, for long periods of time? ...
Education is about many things. The words change but the methodologies remain the same. The goal here is always about successful learning outcomes. Teachers know the value of movement in educating children. Movement is the prelude to learning. Is the tall desk a symptom of something more sinister, not happening in our lives? If our children are seated at the computer much of the day, this new phenomenon - the tall desk - will undoubtedly change all that and help them burn calories, more efficiently, throughout the day. Standing is good. Sitting is not. For two years now, the Momsey has been using a 'revolution' chair, a rubber 'round' chair that helps with both balance and posture, utilizing muscles in the lower back while my legs position me. I now must be ever so careful when I sit. It is a mini-workout, in disguise.
Our inactivity is at a point, now, where we are killing ourselves, incrementally. We should be simplifying our lives, not complicating them more by restricting movement and play for our youngest members. How does scheduling 20-30 minutes more for 'academics' into the elementary school curriculum help any child succeed? We are adding more pressure to their already over-scheduled lives. Adults have coffee breaks. (Try and take that away and watch the backlash begin!) Children have recess. We all need a break. Children need it even more. ... An experiment, at three Texas elementary schools, using tall desks for one group of students, in classrooms, found the 'tall' group expended 15% more calories, simply by standing, than the group who used conventional desks, for most of the school day. Understandably, younger children were more inclined to stand than older ones, anyway. (Developmental milestones for young children are only possible through movement.) Fewer hours sitting also benefited chromosomes with reduced risks of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and overall mortality. The list goes on! Healthy bodies = healthy minds = learning success. ... (Stanford University and the American Academy of Pediatrics seem to agree.)
Recess is nothing to joke about, anymore. It is a critical part of a child's day, everyday. Movement is not just about burning calories, it is also about mental and physical health, good habits, longevity and socialization among peer groups. Recess is also a barometer of 'real life' outside of the classroom, a teaching and assessment tool for our children. ... Are we short changing their futures by creating this learning curve imbalance? Who decided that recess was next on the chopping block for educational cuts? Are 'tall' desks, a knee-jerk reaction to the cancellation of recess, the overuse of indoor gadgets and being at the computer, seated, for long periods of time? ...
Education is about many things. The words change but the methodologies remain the same. The goal here is always about successful learning outcomes. Teachers know the value of movement in educating children. Movement is the prelude to learning. Is the tall desk a symptom of something more sinister, not happening in our lives? If our children are seated at the computer much of the day, this new phenomenon - the tall desk - will undoubtedly change all that and help them burn calories, more efficiently, throughout the day. Standing is good. Sitting is not. For two years now, the Momsey has been using a 'revolution' chair, a rubber 'round' chair that helps with both balance and posture, utilizing muscles in the lower back while my legs position me. I now must be ever so careful when I sit. It is a mini-workout, in disguise.
Our inactivity is at a point, now, where we are killing ourselves, incrementally. We should be simplifying our lives, not complicating them more by restricting movement and play for our youngest members. How does scheduling 20-30 minutes more for 'academics' into the elementary school curriculum help any child succeed? We are adding more pressure to their already over-scheduled lives. Adults have coffee breaks. (Try and take that away and watch the backlash begin!) Children have recess. We all need a break. Children need it even more. ... An experiment, at three Texas elementary schools, using tall desks for one group of students, in classrooms, found the 'tall' group expended 15% more calories, simply by standing, than the group who used conventional desks, for most of the school day. Understandably, younger children were more inclined to stand than older ones, anyway. (Developmental milestones for young children are only possible through movement.) Fewer hours sitting also benefited chromosomes with reduced risks of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and overall mortality. The list goes on! Healthy bodies = healthy minds = learning success. ... (Stanford University and the American Academy of Pediatrics seem to agree.)
A child is built for exploration and
steady momentum. He is energy, personified! Seated behind a desk,
in front of a screen, for long periods of time, is not for the faint of heart, we are now slowly beginning to realize. ... A
child's brain, that formative tangible, malleable piece of human
machinery - command central - is made for thinking in all ways, with problem-solving, at
its core. To create, the body must be in motion. Children learn much
about life, outdoors, and reap the health rewards of simply breathing fresh
air, there. Yes, breathing is important, too! Imagine that! ... Recess should be an integral part of a child's day - for health,
socialization, creativity and simple logic. The forming and
assessment of peer relationships demand this special 'outside'
time, also. ... For every action we might orchestrate, the gesture becomes
more significant in the hands of a child. As I put food into the
freezer, one afternoon, decades ago, our kindergartener, wondered into the
kitchen and remarked, “Who are we food to?” The question led us
to discuss the food chain, dinosaurs, bears and other related
content. Out of the mouths of children, we see and hear the future. It is a 'never-ending story.' Free time and freedom of movement - all compile to create a
beneficial learning environment for our youngest members.
The internet has
changed all the rules of education, making movement and free time for
children paramount directives, now. Movement is not an abstract, unwelcome
concept that happened, long, long ago, in the good old days. It was a right of passage, then, for all. It should and must be now. Inactivity is slowly
becoming the ruination of our species. The 'cost' is incalculable! The obesity epidemic is not
looming. It is here! 'Containment' policies do not work with our
youngest members. Exploration drives learning, this insatiable quest
for knowledge that all children possess. The baby, a younger version of the child, is an
out-of-control, squirming, miracle machine attempting to fulfill his own mandate
to explore, chew, inhabit, grab, pull, taste, smell, and experience everything he can - before nap time! Our job is simple: to keep him safe, within the boundaries we have chosen for him. His developmental expectations are met through play,
this critical assessment of overall health.
Let tall desks and recess
assume their rightful place in our children's lives. Their human need
to pounce, jump, fall, explore, laugh, examine and fine-tune the world around them is
their mandate. Everything must be considered. ... One size does not
fit all! (Dance, anyone?)
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