Just as the provision for children's physical activity is being eroded, more research evidence is confirming its importance, as Alan Pritchard explains
Throughout compulsory education over the past 30 years physical education has been given a raw deal. There has been a steady decline in the amount of time spent on PE and games. This has been particularly acute in the primary sector, especially since the additional pressures of the National Curriculum, the literacy and numeracy strategies and the Early Learning Goals.
Now a new study has reinforced the importance of physical education in promoting children's learning and self-esteem.
The British Heart Foundation tells us that a third of under-sevens fail to reach minimum recommended activity levels. Obesity has reached epidemic levels, with 10 per cent of children beginning primary school classified as obese and considered to be 'alarmingly overweight'.
The state of children's health can be accounted for in several ways. Many more passive activities seem to be encouraged by the availability of computers, games consoles and televisions. One piece of research from the US suggests that 'the strongest marker of increased risk of being overweight' is a television in a child's bedroom. We are also told that 40 per cent of children aged from five to eight show at least one heart disease risk factor. In the past these factors were rarely seen in anyone under the age of 30.
Apart from the most obvious health benefits that come from physical activity and the enjoyment children derive from it, there are other hidden benefits which we are just beginning to understand.
Nutritious food and sufficient physical activity are important for good health, but they both have a wider impact on children's development in other areas. Children who are physically active and who experience some success and enjoyment show higher levels of self-esteem and a sense of accomplishment which can spill over into other areas of their lives.
Professor Margaret Talbot, the convenor of the Sport and Physical Education Network, said that 'children of this(?) age need PE. Research shows that their academic work improves when they get it regularly'. (source?)
A look at the available literature on this topic brings up work from different areas of study.
Neuroscience
There is evidence that increased physical activity linked with increasingly complex pattern-making that requires thought and concentration will boost the growth of neurological 'connections' in the brain. The more connections that are created at the earliest age possible, the more scope there will be for developing higher-level cognitive processes.
Physiology
It is well established that even mild physical activity leads to increased blood flow. Increased blood supply to the brain is a factor in raising immediate brain activity. Studies have shown that in the time following physical exercise, such measures as thinking time, reaction time and ability to focus are improved.
The release into the body of certain chemicals and hormones at times of even moderate exercise may account for increased focus and concentration too - adrenalin, for example, and also the release of endorphins, chemicals which can relax the body and give a sense of well being, both of which can aid concentration and set the scene for learning.
Psychology
Self-esteem is widely recognised as an important factor for progress in school. The enjoyment derived from taking part in even low-level physical activity, linked with the release of endorphins and increased blood flow can, it is thought, help improve an individual's self-esteem. Increased self-esteem can lead to a positive spiral of improvement in a range of school-related areas. Improving schools
Interesting case studies have emerged from educational and Government sponsored work in Britain. Schools that have placed a greater emphasis on sport and physical activity show impressive results. There are examples of remarkable improvements in behaviour across the whole school based upon increased participation in physical activity and games. One school reports marked improvements in end of Key Stage test results and is able to link this directly with their programme of physical education.
Work carried out by individuals and other specific organisations gives additional evidence that cannot be ignored. The Educational Kinesiology movement and the proponents of Brain Gym all give highly plausible reasoning for increasing physical work with young children.
Sometimes this is in terms of remediation(??) of learning and other difficulties being experienced by some 'older' children, and sometimes it is put forward as important early developmental work which will help improve a child's potential for learning.
In particular, there is a school of thought that sees physical effort as an important and preventative measure in terms of developmental dyslexia and other related problems. Despite controversy in the press and on television in recent months, this deserves consideration.
Real benefits
It is reasonably clear from a survey of the research literature that increased engagement with physical activity, at even the lowest levels, can enhance the conditions which lead to improved learning. The ways in which this might take place include greater brain activity and brain growth, greater enjoyment at school in one specific area which is likely to spill over into other areas, increased self-esteem, better behaviour patterns, improved fine and gross motor control and improved dexterity. How, then, can taking time away from physical activity at school in favour of mental discipline be justified?
