Show Details

Keeping Kids Healthy, Physically Fit and Learning Throughout the Year - Tuesday, June 15, 2004

Description

Where To Watch

Show Resources

Long-term health, fitness and mental and physical vitality are the result of good habits and wise choices, many of which are fostered both in the home and in school. While our nation’s schools focus primarily on academics, children’s ability to learn is compromised if they aren’t well rested, well nourished and fit. Research tells us that children’s nutrition and physical activity have a direct impact on academic achievement and positive behaviors. Yet, with the increasing popularity of processed foods and the vast assortment of entertainment technologies, such as electronic handheld and computerized games that encourage sedentary behavior, more and more youths are adopting unhealthy habits.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that:

• Almost 9 million American children and adolescents aged 6–19 years are overweight and are most likely to remain so through adulthood.
• Almost 80 percent of young people do not eat the recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables.
• The prevalence of overweight children aged 6–11 years more than doubled in the last 20 years of the prior century, increasing from 7 percent in 1980 to 15 percent in 2000. The rate of overweight adolescents aged 12–19 tripled in the same time period, rising from 5 percent to 15 percent.

The June edition of Education News Parents Can Use will focus on ways schools and families can help students to begin developing the skills, knowledge and habits to stay healthy and fit throughout their lives. Because this will be the last program of the broadcast season and air just when most students are beginning summer vacation, the June show will also feature a special segment on summer reading. With research indicating that students can experience up to a month of learning loss over the summer, activities such as library-, school- or community-led summer reading programs are encouraged to help ensure that students return to school ready to read and ready to learn. The one-hour program will explore questions such as:

• In what ways is the U.S. Department of Education helping schools create comprehensive health and fitness programs?
• What does the research say about the link between nutrition and fitness and learning?
• How do we develop comprehensive health and fitness programs in schools? What are their key components?
• How can parents encourage a lifelong commitment to health and fitness by their children?
• How can parents ensure that their children continue to read and achieve during the summer months?

Web Cast

To view live web casts of Education News or archived webcasts of past programs please visit http://www.connectlive.com/events/ednews/

Disclaimer
Permission: Teleconferences produced by the U.S. Department of Education are in the public domain.  Use, duplication, and distribution are free and unrestricted.  Thank You !