Many Children Left Behind
We are in a crisis situation in this country (no this is not a political blog, although I am tempted) The crisis is with our youth. Instead of no child being left behind, we are hurting an entire generation who will struggle throughout their lifetimes to reverse patterns of childhood behavior. We have a nation of children who are essentially sedentary. Obesity is an epidemic. We are bombarded with solutions that ignore the root of the problem – lack of exercise. It is not about diet, although that is obviously a factor, it is a distinct lack of quality movement in everyday life activities. Even young athletes suffer from this problem, the only time they move is during organized team practices and even those do not demand a high level of activity. If the child is not an athlete forget it, they have no chance. The solution is to get Physical Education back in the schools, get after school sport programs back that promote free play. Recess also would be helpful. Instead of taking more time away from recess and Physical Education give the kids more time to play and move. I would be willing to bet that test scores would rise. The last time I checked reading was a motor skill. Attention deficit behavior would be reduced, ever try to sit in a desk for six hours without moving? Let’s give the kids a chance. The physical education must be physical, not the sorry excuse we have today where the teachers have to make it academic to justify its place in the curriculum. Wake up and move!!
posted by Vern Gambetta @ 9/29/2005 07:20:00 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Amen Vern! You very nicely stated something many of us in the health care / fitness industry are observing. We see many, many kids at either extreme of the curve--either obese and sedentary or overtrained and participating in way too many organized "select" sport activities. Regardless, neither athlete moves "well" and many have significant postural issues and problematic movement patterns that will predispose them to injury or musculoskeletal problems down the road.
The killer is that the "industry" of youth sport specific training specialists does nothing to REALLY address this issue. Rather than try to educate the parents, coaches and kids about the need for basic physical preparation and developing an appreciation for good, healthy movement patterns, the goal is to sell, sell, sell speed, an incrased vertical jump or that last ditch effort to make the elite select squad. It makes me sick and rather than be an accessory to the crime, I've chosen to take another path and make changes a few individuals at a time.
Man, you hit it right on the head. I am a middle school PE teacher and 2 years ago, I had a principal evaluate my class and the knock I got was giving no written work! I am tired of hearing about test scores. I had 3 kids pulled out of my class last year to be tutored so they could pass the end of grade test. It is really sad what we so-called experts in the schools are doing to our kids.
I was blasted lasst year about not including reading and writing in my curriculum. My response was when I see them moving in all the other classes, I'll read and write in mine. I am not worried about that happening.
It is definitely a sad situation.
I have had an idea now for several years which I saw in practice in Switzerland. It is simply a "walk to school" program. Perhaps once a week to begin with, parents could drop their kids at a park or church that is within a one mile walk from school. A parent would drive all their 50pound backpacks(that's a whole other topic) and a few parents or seniors would chaperone the walk. The kids then get some exercise and social time before settling into a day in a desk and wwe cut down on a nightmare of traffic at the school in the morning. Most of us grew up walking to school but unfortunately, due to the times we live in, it is not safe to let our kids run about in the same fashion and with the same freedom we had.
I have suggested this to my school and I am going to pursue it with the parents of the 7th and 8th graders at least. It obviously doesn't solve the whole dilema but it would be place to start.
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