The Pica Perspective

Children Failing at Physical Activity

Did you know that traditional competitive sports don't provide children with the opportunities necessary to acquire, practice, and refine their motor skills -- or even the skills required by the sports themselves?

Consider the following results of a variety of studies, reported by Steve Grineski in his book, Cooperative Learning in Physical Education:

• 75% of ball contacts were made by 40% of the players during a 3rd-grade soccer game.
• 35% of players never caught the ball, while 52% of players never threw the ball during a 5th-grade kickball game.
• Three students never touched the ball or ran the length of the gym floor during a 5th-grade kickball game.
• Twenty 3rd-grade children participating in a one-hour softball game had a total of 39 throwing and catching opportunities. The average number of throwing and catching opportunities for each child for the one-hour game was 2.3.
• Children participating in an hour-long hockey game had possession of the puck less than two minutes each.

In other words, the children involved in these situations had very few opportunities to improve their throwing, catching, kicking, dribbling, or stick-handling skills. And these were elementary-school children! Younger children forced to play adult games without adult skills find they don't even know what they're expected to do when finally given an opportunity to perform.

But you don't need the results of studies to know this is true. If you've ever been to any organized contests involving young children, you've probably witnessed it yourself. There's the right fielder who grows so bored waiting for a ball to come her way that, by the time one finally does arrive, she's busy finding creatures in the clouds. Or the "wide receiver" who hasn't seen the football in so long he's forgotten what his job is and periodically just trots down the field and then back to the huddle. How, exactly, are these children supposed to be improving their skills?

In short, if traditional competitive sports programs don't provide children with the opportunities necessary to acquire, practice, and refine their motor skills, how likely is it that improved motor development will take place? And doesn't this also say something about the ability of organized sports programs to improve physical fitness? If organized sports turn out to be nearly as sedentary as sitting on the couch, fitness certainly can't be the expected result!

But perhaps the more important questions are: If a child experiences more failure than success in organized sports, what happens to the love of movement she started life with? How likely is she to make physical activity an integral part of her later life?

The theory of flow, put forth by University of Chicago psychologist Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi, contends that people are happiest when the challenges they face are equal to the skills they possess. So what happens when the challenges presented to children are beyond their ability to succeed? Anxiety is one probable result. Another is the development of learned helplessness: the expectation, based on past experience, that one's every effort will lead to failure.

Motivation theorists have discovered that when failure is attributed to lack of ability and ability is considered beyond one's control, the cycle leads to embarrassment, withdrawal, and a decline in performance. And it makes perfect sense. What would your reaction have been if, as a child who hadn't yet "broken the code" of putting letters together to form words, someone insisted you read Shakespeare? What if, before you even knew how to add and subtract, your parents had urged you to try solving algebra problems? Chances are, you would have blamed yourself for your inabilities, concluded you would never master such tasks, and simply given up.

When we put children into situations for which they're not ready, we set them up for failure. And failure, of course, feels bad, which is the last thing we want for our kids. More significant, numerous studies have shown that negative early experiences with sports are a major factor in why kids quit participating in physical activity altogether. And then what happens to fitness and health? Hint: we end up breeding more couch potatoes.

Race to Nowhere

This week's featured program on the BAM Radio Network is my interview with Vicki Abeles, lawyer-turned-filmmaker, whose new film, Race to Nowhere, premieres this week. Vicki decided to make a 
movie when she took a long, hard look at the stress school was causing her middle-school children. She wondered why their childhood was significantly different from her own, and she was troubled by what she found. Among the differences: very little time to play or socialize with friends and much more pressure around school and homework. Vicki told me her daughters did more homework than she was required to do in graduate school!

Yup, I said graduate school.

I highly recommend that you take a little trip over to Vicki's website and watch the brief trailer. Its quiet power may well bring tears to your eyes; it did to mine. While you're there you can also find a schedule of screenings, resources, and ideas for taking action.

Oh, yes; you should definitely listen to the interview, too!

Take It Outside! Week

The week of October 19-23 has been designated as the inaugural Take It Outside! Week.

To increase outdoor play while celebrating the environment, child care centers are invited to join Head Start Centers across the country in participating in the Inaugural Take It Outside! Week, October 19 – 23, 2009.  Presented by Head Start Body Start National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play (HSBS), the national initiative is sponsored by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation (AAPAR). Its purpose is to get children outside, connect with the natural world, and increase physical activity.

According to Center Director Karin Spencer, Ed.D., “Outdoor play is associated with greater amounts of physical activity in children, and research has shown that opportunities for whole body exercise has a long lasting influence as preschool physical activity tracks throughout childhood."

"Unfortunately children today spend less time playing outdoors than any previous generation," added Spencer. "We want to help Head Start and all early childhood education and care staff to discover the benefits of outdoor play across developmental domains and learn about the features of high quality outdoor play spaces that promote movement opportunities for children of all ability levels. When adults model and teach the importance of physical activity, young children are more likely to adopt a lifetime of healthful practices and behaviors."

HSBS will provide programs with everything they need to celebrate Take It Outside! Week including activity ideas, tips for facilitating play, and suggestions for enhancing the environment.  From Books That Move You to 15 Simple Ways to Get Moving, the activities are designed to increase physical activity for young children and promote family involvement. For a wonderful array of free resources about Take It Outside! Week, visit www.headstartbodystart.org. 

 

 

Mark Your Calendars for Movement!

Seems as though my inbox has been filled with encouraging items lately -- as though the word about movement and play is catching on! Here's what's happening in September:

~ America on the Move. This organization has dedicated the entire month of September to movement. But they're calling the month Steptember. (Love it!) From their website:

Founded by James. O Hill, PhD and John C. Peters, PhD, America On the Move Foundation (AOMF) is a national non-profit organization located in Denver, CO. Our mission is to improve health and quality of life by promoting healthful eating and active living among individuals, families, communities, and society. We do this by:

• Bringing scientists and non-scientists together from multiple disciplines in order to synthesize and stimulate new knowledge.
• Translating cutting-edge science into accessible information for easy use by individuals, groups, and communities that can positively affect health behavior.
• Empowering individuals to take control of their health by making and sustaining small measurable changes to their daily eating and activity routines.
• Encouraging public and private partnerships at the national, state, and local level to build programs that reach individuals and communities and support sustainable behavioral change.

Our research shows that small, specific changes in food and physical activity behaviors can have a positive effect on health and effectively stop weight gain. America On the Move (AOM) provides web-based programs, tools, and resources to individuals, families, groups, and communities of all types and sizes. Together, with the support of our partners and sponsors, we're working to create a movement that inspires more people to make positive changes every day.

~ Worldwide Day of Play. Nickelodeon has designated September 26th as Worldwide Day of Play -- a day dedicated to the celebration of healthy and active play. On that day the network will "go dark" for 3 hours to encourage kids and their families to turn off the TV, get up, get out, and go play.

Those of us who support play know that setting aside 3 hours -- or even an entire day -- isn't sufficient. But it's a start -- and calling attention to the need for play is never a bad thing. And if you go to the Nickelodeon site, you can download a Worldwide Day of Play Playbook -- a planning guide to help you organize an event for your group or community.

~ On an ongoing basis is Push2Play, a promotion of Saskatchewan Blue Cross to inspire Saskatchewan parents and children to live healthier lifestyles through active play an hour a day. The good news is that you don't have to live in Canada to heed their advice or to download their playbook of physical activities and games!

January may be the time of year for setting goals, but let's decide that, if you haven't done it already, September is the time to get moving!

Center on Media and Child Health Launches "Ask the Mediatrician"

Here's a press release from the Center on Media and Child Health!:

From cyberbullying and violent video games to social networking and sexting, parents are overwhelmed by the new media environment and how it affects their children. To help parents navigate this new and changing landscape, the Center on Media and Child Health (CMCH) at Children's Hospital Boston is launching Ask the Mediatrician^SM. Pediatrician, former Hollywood filmmaker, parent, and CMCH founder Michael Rich, MD, MPH, will tackle any and all questions parents have related to media and their child's health.

"As with a child's nutritional diet, we need to be cognizant of what media our children are consuming and how it affects them," says Dr. Rich, also an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. "At Ask the Mediatrician, we will provide parents with answers and recommendations rooted in science, not opinion."

Research shows that young people spend more time using media-TV, movies, music, computers, Internet, cell phones, magazines, and video games--than engaging in any other single activity except sleep. The media that children use and create are integral to their growing sense of selves, of the world, and of how they should interact with it. The influence of media has been linked to both negative health outcomes, such as smoking, obesity, sexual risk behaviors, eating disorders, anxiety, and violence, and to positive outcomes, such as positive social behavior, civic participation, tolerance, school readiness, knowledge acquisition, and improved self-image. These media effects are different for any given child.

The child's age, the content, context, and amount of media the child uses, and whether that use is active or critical need to be considered. Parents, teachers and others who work with children are encouraged to submit their questions at AsktheMediatrician.org, where Dr. Rich will prescribe age-appropriate media use recommendations and alternatives. Having conducted research and having built the only comprehensive database of scientific evidence on the effects of media, Dr. Rich and colleagues understand how media influence the physical, mental, and social health of children. This research, both from CMCH (accessible here) and from around the world, will be the basis on which answers and recommendations will be provided.

"We recognize that kids love media and there are positive as well as negative effects on them," adds Dr. Rich. "This new resource will give them the knowledge of how they are affected and provide action steps for parents to take in their own home, consistent with their own families, to help raise happy and healthy kids in the Media Age."

Head Start Body Start

Last week I attended a meeting of master trainers for the new Head Start Body Start National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play. The center was created with a $12 million grant from the Office of Head Start, with the intention of increasing the levels of physical activity among children in Head Start programs. HSBS will provide grants of up to $5,000 to Head Start centers nationwide to improve their outdoor play space. Grants recipients will also receive targeted training and technical assistance from HSBS, including on-site consultation from a physical activity expert and access to on-line training. (The Play Space Grant RFP was released on May 15th. To access the RFP visit  the HSBS website.)

I have to admit I had mixed feelings about heading to Reston VA and HSBS headquarters. Although I'd agreed, when the grant was being written, to act as a master trainer should the grant be received, that was many months ago. Since then I've been busy, busy, busy; and BAM! has keep me pretty involved. I really didn't want to leave all my other work behind even for a few days.

Then our meetings began. Involved were four other master trainers and four HSBS staff members. And it was incredible. The energy in that conference room was amazing.

First of all, because I work mostly alone, it was a wonderful feeling to be surrounded by a room full of people who are passionate about early childhood physical activity. There are maybe only a couple of dozen of us in the country, so it's astonishing to even find a room full of people passionate about such a subject. And because everyone in that room felt so strongly about the contribution we could make to Head Start children -- and possibly children everywhere -- I renewed my dedication to the field I've been involved in for almost 30 years.

One of the most powerful moments came during a presentation by Nilda Cosco, an HSBS advisory board member and Education Specialist for the Natural Learning Initiative. Nilda showed us slides of outdoor settings and children's experiences in them (many of which were in Europe, unfortunately). In one (which did take place in Europe), a little girl sat on a hot day with her bare feet cooling in a stream. Nilda told us that she'd watched the little girl for about 15 minutes, during which the child gazed into the water and quietly sang to herself.

It was the kind of experience every child should have -- and so few do. And as my eyes filled with tears, I gazed around the room and saw I wasn't the only one who was moved.

So, yes. I have most definitely renewed my commitment to the work I've been doing for three decades. To children's active play -- and to as much of it as possible taking place outdoors!

And the Message Is?

Have you seen the new television commercial for Dunkin’ Donuts? I don’t know if the company is nationwide; if not, you may not know about Dunkin’ Donuts.

 

As a New Englander I’ve known about Dunkin’ Donuts since I was a kid. Of course, back then we didn’t have a childhood obesity crisis. We had maybe one “fat kid” in school. That was typical at the time. So nobody thought twice about commercials for fried globs of dough and sugar, double bacon cheeseburgers, or breakfasts with enough calories and fat to clog arteries in an instant. It absolutely amazes me that such ads still run on TV. I mean, not only do we have an epidemic of childhood obesity; we’re pretty much a nation of weight-challenged people in general.

 

So, the other night I’m sitting on the couch sorting through days’ worth of catalogs and newspapers. The TV was on, but since I mute it when the commercials come on, I have no idea what this particular ad said. All I know is that I looked up in time to see three children vegging out on a couch in front of a television set. Suddenly three beams of light attach themselves to each of the children, raise them off the couch and, zombie-like, float them toward the TV.

 

Interesting, I thought. Children often become zombie-like when they spend too much time in front of a TV. So I certainly agreed with the sentiment at that point. Just then, however, dad came to the door of the TV room. As I said, my television was muted, so I don’t know what he said. All I know is what I saw: He’d brought home a big box of Dunkin’ Donuts and was “rescuing” the children from their zombie state by enticing them with the goodies. Released from the beams of light, they raced happily into the kitchen to partake in big fried globs of dough and sugar.

 

Now, I’ll admit I love a good donut. The

Boston

crème pie donuts are to die-for. But I rarely eat one since someone told me it takes three days to digest a single one. But I wouldn’t suggest that no one ever eat one, or that a family not occasionally partake of a fried and fatty treat. However, the visual message I witnessed caused my jaw to drop yet again.

 

I hope the next time that particular commercial plays on my TV that I have the sound on. Because I am really curious as to what the message of such an ad could be. “Are your children couch potatoes? Get them up off the couch and away from the TV with donuts!”

 

Really? What advertising agency would think up such a concept in an age of childhood obesity? And why would any company agree it was a good idea?

 

 

The Swine Flu

I suppose that being cofounder and host of Body, Mind and Child Radio -- and co-host of NAEYC Radio -- makes me part of the media. It's ironic, then, that I generally tend to ignore the media to the greatest extent possible. Certainly, I appreciate being kept informed. But I don't appreciate being scared out of my mind. That's why, until today, I was paying as little attention as I could to the reports surrounding the swine flu infection. I can't function if I'm scared out of my mind.

Still, several things occurred today that prompted me to pay closer attention. One was the suggestion from my BAM partner that I consider an interview on the issue. Another was an e-mail sent by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Another was a conversation with Jody Martin, vice-president of education for Creme de la Creme Early Learning Centers. As early as the day before yesterday, she was getting so many phone calls from frightened parents that it warranted the creation of a letter to reassure them. She reports that, in her centers and others, parents are keeping their children at home and even disenrolling them. The fear is beginning to run rampant.

Of the things Jody had to say of interest to parents and early childhood professionals, two stood out:

• The steps the CDC recommends child care centers and preschools take to prevent an outbreak are things that conscientious centers do on a regular basis anyway. State licensing regulations require such practices as frequent hand washing, frequent surface cleaning, and visual checks of children. 

Jody pointed out that, at Creme, they have always been diligent about meeting and exceeding state guidelines. Among other things, children and staff members wash their hands with soap and water after coughing, sneezing or blowing, before eating or drinking, after using the restroom, after assisting a child with toileting or diaper changing, and after playing in the sand/water table or outdoors. They disinfect surface areas, as well as toys and equipment throughout the day; and they sanitize their cots and mats daily, and wash sheets and blankets every day. They also conduct visual checks of each child every day, looking for changes in behavior and other symptoms of illness.

• Child care facilities and preschools can do all the right things in their buildings and with the children in their care, but if parents aren't doing it at home they're continually bringing the problem back into the building. According to Jody, perhaps the most important job of the early childhood professional is educating the parents.

This morning's NAEYC e-mail included a link to a CDC cite offering specific information as to how child care providers should handle this outbreak and how they can educate parents. Click here for their suggestions.

May Is the Month to Get Moving!

This May is the 26th anniversary of National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, with May 1-7 designated as National Physical Education and Sport Week. These events are sponsored by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE).

The preeminent national authority on physical education and a recognized leader in sport and physical activity, NASPE is a non-profit professional membership association that sets the standard for practice in physical education and sport. NASPE’s 16,000 members include: K-12 physical education teachers, coaches, athletic directors, athletic trainers, sport management professionals, researchers, and college/university faculty who prepare physical activity professionals. NASPE seeks to enhance knowledge, improve professional practice, and increase support for high-quality physical education, sport and physical activity programs through research, development of standards, and dissemination of information. It is the largest of the five national associations that make up the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (AAHPERD).

NASPE recommends that schools and families incorporate at least 60 minutes of moderate physical activity into each child’s daily routine. The challenge isn’t finding enough time in the day for a child to exercise, rather, it is helping each child identify a sport or activity that he or she enjoys as much as watching television or playing computer games.

“For many young kids (those under the age of eight), the problem isn’t inactivity, it is trying to slow them down. However, children between the ages of eight and 10 seem to choose one of two routes: the athletic way or the non-athletic way. Those who choose the athletic route play on teams, participate in dance clubs or martial arts, for example."

“As youngsters enter middle school, however, organized physical activities become limited. Thus the challenge for parents is to assist their children in finding physical activities that they enjoy doing with their friends, and that does not require a coach or instructor. Kids need to discover what else is out there for them: riding a bike, in-line skating, dancing, golf, tennis, martial arts or maybe going to the gym. It is important to allow them to explore these different opportunities and determine what activities they truly enjoy.”   

NASPE also suggests that parents limit the amount of time their children spend in front of the television or computer to less than two hours a day, and that they see their parents having fun participating in physical activities of their own choosing. Children learn by example. If you enjoy and participate in physical activity, so will your children.

Each day during kickoff week has a different theme: Adventure Day, Dance Day, Sport Day, Recreation Day, and Personal Fitness Day. For activity ideas, click here!

Studies in the News

Yesterday it was reported that children living close to parks and other play areas are more active. That may not seem so surprising, as we imagine children "frolicking" when we think of them in parks and playgrounds. What's interesting is that the study, conducted by researchers at Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Center and Université de Montréal in Canada, found that for every park within a half-mile of home, a girl's likelihood of walking to school doubled and a boy's odds of taking part in leisure walking increased by 60 percent.

"There was a strong association between walking and the number of nearby public open recreational spaces, including neighborhood parks, playgrounds and sports fields," the study's lead author, Tracie A. Barnett, said in a news release issued by the Heart Association. "We were able to relate the proximity and number of parks to how often children aged 8 to 10 years walked."

Data for the study came from 300 families and more than 600 children participating in a study of weight and cardiometabolic risk in kids. Children in the study were all considered at a high risk for obesity because at least one parent already was obese. The researchers said that the findings were consistent even when factoring in family income and average level of education in the neighborhood, a measure of economic advantage.

Childhood and adolescent obesity increased three-fold in the past two decades, a rapid climb that Barnett said is thought to be more environmental than biological.

"In the past few decades, we have become more sedentary due to the increased use of labor-saving devices, motorized transportation, television and computers," she said. "In addition, children are spending more time inside, yet we know that spending time outdoors is an important determinant of activity. In future urban improvements, consideration must be given to parks, outdoor recreational areas and walking or cycling infrastructure in order to increase active living. Equally important is that the parks and recreational areas are well maintained and are safe."

The researchers plan to continue following the participant families for the next decade, or until the children turn 18, to measure how environment affects their weight.

According to an American Heart Association statement issued in June, "walkable" neighborhoods -- featuring sidewalks and places for physical activity -- can make it easier for people to get daily exercise and can help fight the climbing obesity rates.

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As reported on the CBS Evening News this week, the state of Texas experimented with a mandate for daily physical education and annual fitness tests for the state's 2.4 million kids ages 8 to 18. The idea was proposed to help combat increasing childhood obesity rates, but this first-of-its-kind study also looked at whether or not physically fit kids are better students. And you know what? They are.

According to Texas school officials, after just one year, students are performing better on standardized tests. Moreover, absentee rates -- and behavior problems -- have declined. Also, there is a direct correlation between more cardiovascular activity and better grades. At the top performing schools, where at least 90% of the students pass the state assessment tests, 80% of them are fit. Conversely, at the poorest performing schools, only 40% are fit!

This is exciting news, of course, for those of us who have long believed in the connection between mind and body. (Good grief -- Aristotle and Plato espoused the connection between a healthy body and a healthy mind!) What I find ironic is that it came from the state of Texas, where one of their (former?) state school board members once said that devoting too much time to physical education would result in kids who were healthy but dumb!