The importance of getting movement throughout the school day is widely accepted as a fact these days.
The idea behind this report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention from 2018—five years ago—was already in the mainstream, even back then. It fully supports the work we do here at MOVE2LEARN—bringing movement to students before, during and after school, helping kids feel and do their best.
Some sobering statistics from the report:
- In 2016, Colorado was the only state that reported requiring classroom physical activity breaks for elementary school students. No states required breaks in middle or high schools.
- Nationwide, elementary schools are less likely to include physical activity in planned academic instruction in schools with a majority Latino population than in schools with a majority white population.
- Nationwide, elementary schools are less likely to include physical activity breaks in schools where a majority of students have a low socioeconomic position than in schools where a majority of students have a high socioeconomic position.
Another big takeaways of the report is how few schools nationwide require brain boosts throughout the day.
MOVE2LEARN would love to see Alexandria public schools in the mix and will work with ACPS leadership to make that a reality.
