ABL Blog

Study: Losing Fat INCREASES Brain power?!

Kidsfit Blog — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 18:48:27 GMT

Better grades might be found on the playground. A new study of elementary-age children shows that those who were not part of an after-school exercise program tended to pack on a particular type of body fat that can have deleterious impacts on brain health and thinking. But prevention and treatment could be as simple as playing more games of tag. Most children do not meet the federal health guidelines for exercise, which call for at least an hour of it a day for anyone under the age of 18. Physical inactivity can result in weight gain, especially around the midsection — including visceral fat, a type of tissue deep inside the abdomen that is known to increase inflammation throughout the body. It is also linked to heightened risks for diabetes and cardiovascular complications, even in children, and may contribute to declining brain function: Obese adults often perform worse than people of normal weight on tests of thinking skills.

But little has been known about visceral fat and brain health in children. For a soon-to-be-published study, researchers from Northeastern University in Boston and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign tracked hundreds of 8-to-10-year-old children in a nine-month after-school exercise program in Urbana. Every day, one group of children played tag and other active games for about 70 minutes. The subjects in a control group continued with their normal lives, with the promise that they could join the program the following year. All the children completed tests of fitness, body composition and cognitive skills at the start and end of the program. The researchers did not ask the children to change their diets.

After the trial, the exercising children who were obese at the study’s onset had less visceral fat relative to their starting weight, even if they remained overweight. They also showed significant improvements in their scores on a computerized test that measures how well children pay attention, process information and avoid being impulsive. Notably, a similar effect was observed in children whose weight was normal at the start. Across the board, the more visceral fat a child shed during the nine months of play, the better he or she performed on the test. The children in the control group, in contrast, had generally added to their visceral fat; this was particularly true among those who were already obese. They gained, on average, four times as much visceral fat as the normal-weight children in the control group, and also did not perform as well on the subsequent test.

Lauren Raine, a postdoctoral researcher at Northeastern University who conducted the study with Charles Hillman and others, says that the trial was designed to study aerobic fitness and children’s ability to think, not the relation of abdominal flab to inflammation. But a reduction in overall inflammation very likely plays a role, because it is thought to be unhealthy for the brain. More broadly, Raine says, the study suggests that getting children to run around won’t just enhance their bodies — it might also improve their report cards.

For full article, click here By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS JUNE 16, 2017

The Importance of LISS

Kidsfit Blog — Thu, 06 Dec 2018 21:14:16 GMT

Low Intensity Steady State Movements

What is LISS? It’s large muscle group movements (like leg movements during pedaling) at a low to moderate heart rate response. We are not overtaxing the body like higher intensity exercise. It is a slower, low intensity rhythmic movement. The energy expenditure and requirements of the body during LISS, are in balance to complete the body’s work task.

Which is Better for learning? LISS Movement or Exercise?Exercise or high intensity IS best used before or after learning occurs. By now you’ve probably read the hundreds of studies showing the benefits that exercise has on the brain. The key is understanding these studies were done either before or after learning occurred. The most infamous study, showed a drastic increase in science and math scores just by implementing a high intensity morning workout. (Naperville Zero Hour PE Program)

What is happening in the body during LISS? Two things to understand: 1. Glucose and Oxygen are necessary brain nutrients. 2. The brain lacks the ability to store large amount of glucose or oxygen, it requires a continuous supply. LISS Movement is actually increasing circulation which allows for these vital nutrients to continually travel to the brain. The end result is the brain reaching it’s optimal learning state. This is why movement is so important in learning!

LISS movement should be used during the learning process. You can’t learn new academic content when exercising in an aerobic zone - or at high intensity. “Scientists know that you can not learn new material while exercising at high intensity, because blood is shunted from the prefrontal cortex which hampers executive function." Dr. Ratey, Spark

How do I know when my students are in Low Intensity Steady State?Look for and encourage slower rhythmic leg movements which provide continuous slow muscle contractions. Use the talk test to measure intensity! The talk test is a simple way to measure relative intensity. In general, if you're doing moderate-intensity activity you can talk, but not sing, during the activity. If you're doing vigorous-intensity activity, you will not be able to say more than a few words without pausing for a breath.

$10,000 Grant Available through April 1

Kidsfit Blog — Mon, 12 Feb 2018 22:06:13 GMT

WHO IS OFFERING THE GRANT: McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation

APPLICATION PROCESS: BEGINNER

ELIGIBILITY:

* licensed k-12 teachers employed in public or private schools

*have the background and experience to complete the project successfully

*are willing to work in collaboration with the Foundation

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO PROVIDE:

**Background info (name school etc).

**Narrative (Briefly Describe your project, what products you are interested in and your plan). (We can help you wth this)

**Budget (Year 1-3) (Statement about what the money will be used for).

** Reference Letters (3 total)

REWARD: Up to $10,000 per year for a maximum of $30,000 over three years.

APPLICATION DUE DATE: APRIL 15TH

APPLICATION AND MORE INFO: https://mccartheydressman.org/teacher-development-grants/

For an official quote to include with your grant proposal Contact: fab@kidsfit.com

It's a celebration.

Kidsfit Blog — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 18:58:48 GMT

Top 5 reasons why every educator will benefit from the ABL Lab Manual.

Reason # 1. It is a blast to read!

Who doesn't love tons of pictures, with easy to read instructions?! Each page was created with you (our awesome reader) in mind. That means ZERO boring paragraphs and lengthy black and white copy. More pictures, more fun for everyone.

Reason #2. We show you the data.

We get you. We also get that everyone wants to see the hard evidence and concrete data. We took this to heart and created the lab manual with data you can use right in your classroom. For example, did you know that the body's motor, balance and vestibular systems must be developed properly in order to even begin processing information? (We break it down for you on page 21).

Reason #3. New and Improved (who doesn't love up to date info?)

By new and approved, we mean we have have included real feedback from classroom teachers, principals, students, parents, P.E. teachers, OT's PT's, and more! This means real-life feedback that is going to help you from day 1. More examples, more strategies, and more step by step instructions for you to kick off Action Based Learning and maintain it's success.

Reason # 4. We take the FEAR out of it.

Trust me, any new endeavor is always a little bit intimidating, and we completely understand. We walk you through the lab starting from day 1. From establishing behavior expectations, to explaining HOW the students enter the lab, we've got you covered. We explain the little details such as voice levels, rotation signals, and exiting the lab.

Reason #5. We Believe in You.

If you are reading this right now, there is a reason. You are a game-changer, a visionary and a change-maker. This manual was made for you. It is your toolbox, your right-hand man and your playbook to transform your student's lives- starting right now.

Bilingual kids at an advantage in overall cognitive abilities?

Kidsfit Blog — Wed, 08 Nov 2017 18:19:35 GMT

TEODORA ZEREVA - Developmental psychologists have long been interested in the effects of growing up in a bilingual family. Bilingual kids may have harder time performing at the level of their peers initially, especially if they have limited proficiency in the language of schooling. However, in the long-run, bilingualism may have a positive effect on some cognitive abilities.

One of these benefits is better development of executive functioning (EF). Executive functioning is a set of higher-order cognitive skills that help people manage themselves, specifically their thoughts and behaviors. These skills include, for example, inhibitory control, attention shifting and working memory. Bilingual experience has been associated with better development of EF skills and better development of EF skills has been associated with better academic outcomes.

A new study, published in the journal Developmental Science has shown that this positive effect of bilingualism may be particularly beneficial for kids who grow up in low-income households, an environment that usually has negative effects on EF performance.

The research focused particularly on inhibitory control (IC) - the ability to control natural or habitual reactions to stimuli in order to select a more appropriate response. Children with good inhibitory control are better able to pay attention and follow instructions.

The researchers collected data from 1,146 Head Start children (who are in transition from preschool to kindergarten), all from low-income families. They put them in three different groups - English monolingual, bilingual children from Spanish-speaking homes, and children who spoke only Spanish at the start of the study but became bilingual in the end.

The way inhibitory control was tested was via a pencil-tapping task. The task required the kid to tap with a pencil once for each time an examiner tapped twice and vice versa. To be successful in this task the child has to inhibit the response to imitate the examiner while also keeping the rules of the task in mind. The test was administered at the beginning of the study and then at 6 and 18 months.

The results of the study showed that bilingual children had higher inhibitory control at baseline, as well as steeper growth over time, compared to their English monolingual peers. Children who could only speak Spanish at the beginning had the lowest IC performance, but their rate of IC growth exceeded that of children who remained English monolingual and did not differ from that of their peers who started the study being bilingual.

Researchers hypothesize that the way bilingualism helps increase inhibitory control development is due to the cognitive demands of managing two languages. They explain that “during bilingual language production and processing, both language systems get activated, giving rise to cognitive conflict that has to be resolved by inhibiting the representation of the non-target language in order to favor the target language.”

Atika Khurana, the study’s co-author and a professor in the Department of Counselling Psychology and Human Services and scientist at the UO's Prevention Science Institute, said for The Independent:

“Inhibitory control and executive function are important skills for academic success and positive health outcomes and well-being later in life. The development of inhibitory control occurs rapidly during the preschool years. This study shows one way in which environmental influences can impact the development of inhibitory control during younger years.”

The Hidden Secret No One Tells You

Kidsfit Blog — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 15:00:00 GMT

What is this secret, you know the secret that only some of the best educators know?

The teachers that always seem to be calm, the one whose class is always paying attention. They have the lowest referral count, their students are excelling- on paper, behaviorally, AND in peer relationships? We all know that one colleague who seems to flawlessy transition from class to class........What is their secret?

It's simple. It may go against everything you thought you knew was true. It may change your students' lives forever....and it just might change yours too! The secret is movement! Controlled, purposeful, evidence based movement!

Did you know that educators who implemented Action Based Learning concepts into their classroom experience:

-LESS behavioral referrals

-INCREASED student participation

-INCREASED attendance

-INCREASED standardized testing results

-MORE actively engaged students

-MORE control of the class

But don't take our word for it.... try it for yourself!

Book Club Monday

Kidsfit Blog — Mon, 09 Oct 2017 12:00:00 GMT

OUR BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE WEEK:

Brain Rules by Dr John Medina

This book is a great book to read for an introduction into the field of neuroscience. Dr. John Medina’s 12 rules explain the importance of what we can do to help develop our brains as well as become better learners and teachers.

Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by Dr John Ratey

A fascinating read that emphasizes the physical, mental and psychological benefits of exercise, specifically cardio-intensive activities like running and biking. Using many scientific experiments and studies, Ratey argues that exercise is the most influential component of improving our brain function.

Poverty and the Brain

Kidsfit Blog — Mon, 02 Oct 2017 15:00:00 GMT

Did you know the effcts of an upbringing in poverty reduce the surface area of some parts of the brain?

In the picture below, taken from The Scientific American article "This is your Brain on Poverty, the pink regions represent areas of the brain involved in cognitive processing, the areas that are negatively affected by poverty.

The article goes on to discuss what they call "the wealth effect" which concluded that children tended to do better on cognitive skills when socioeconomic status (SES) was higher. SES was the defining factor between the differences in language tests, specifically about 1/3 of a difference in scores.

To read more about the brain on poverty you can access the full article below:

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/sa-visual/this-is-your-brain-on-poverty/

Did you know your student could benefit from an Occupational Therapist?

Kidsfit Blog — Mon, 25 Sep 2017 12:00:00 GMT

According to the AOTA, Usually, occupational therapy is provided to students with disabilities. But occupational therapy can be made available to other children who are having specific problems in school. Occupational therapy practitioners also work to provide consultation to teachers about how classroom design affects attention, why particular children behave inappropriately at certain times, and where best to seat a child based on his or her learning style or other needs.

Occupational therapy may be recommended for an individual student for reasons that might be affecting his or learning or behavior, such as motor skills, cognitive processing, visual or perceptual problems, mental health concerns, difficulties staying on task, disorganization, or inappropriate sensory responses.

What do school-based Occupational Therapy services include:

An Evaluation of the student
A treatment plan (including both classroom and home based interventions)
Ongoing support for student, teacher and parents
Recommendations for adaptive equipment as applicable
IEP input and recommendations

What specific areas can the Occupational Therapist treat?

Handwriting
Sensory Processing Skills
Self-care skills
Social Skills
Executive Functioning Skills
Fine Motor Skills
Gross Motor Skills
Sensorimotor Skills
Visual-motor integration

Who can OT's treat?

OT's can treat children with a wide variety of diagnoses including but not limited to:

Sensory Processing Disorder
ADHD
ADD
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Learning Disabilities
Down Syndrome
Cerebral Palsy

What is all this talk about Proprioception?

Kidsfit Blog — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 12:00:00 GMT

What is proprioception and why should you understand it

Proprioception is:

Knowing where your body is in space (think: balance, coordination and agility)
The use of activities that stimulate joint receptors (think: leap frog)

Why is it important to understand?

It helps children to feel a sense of self
Aids in self-regulation
Facilitiates success in motor activities
Helps with personal space
Offers an understanding of personal boundaries
Regulates appropriate engagement

How do I provide my students with proprioceptive input?

Bear Hugs
Wheelbarrow walks
Frog Jumps
Jumping on a Trampoline
Playing with Play-Dough or squeezing putty