Brain Health and Academic Achievement

Question 1

Hindering attitudes that prevail in many schools:

Answer 1

• focused on high academic scores
• too much curriculum to cover, no time for PE
• only jocks/athletes benefit from PE
• PE takes time away from academic learning time
• PE is a non-core academic subject

Question 2

For better brain health, all children and youth should be physically active on a _____ ____.

Answer 2

regular basis

Question 3

In addition to physical health benefits, PA also improves…

Answer 3

• cognition
• brain function
• mental health

Question 4

Regular PA in children and youth is associated with:

Answer 4

• higher academic achievement (to a point)
• greater attention, focus, and concentration
• better memory
• better problem-solving and decision making abilities
• higher executive function abilities

Question 5

Higher academic achievement with regular PA includes:

Answer 5

better performance in math, reading, science, and social studies

Question 6

Greater attention, focus, and concentration makes for _____, more ______ learners.

Answer 6

• better

- efficient

Question 7

Higher executive function abilities with regular PA includes:

Answer 7

• better able to perform challenging and demanding tasks

- make less mistakes on these tasks

Question 8

Children and youth who are physically active have larger brain volumes in areas associated with…

Answer 8

• memory

- executive functions

Question 9

Children and youth who are physically active are better able to “switch on” brain regions responsible for …

Answer 9

higher level thinking

Question 10

Regular PA can also increase _______, creating new _____ in their brains and supporting better _____.

Answer 10

• neuroplasticity
• pathways
• learning

Question 11

Regular PA improves _____ _____ (including _____) to the brain.

Answer 11

• blood flow

- oxygen

Question 12

MI involves…

Answer 12

infusing PA within general education classrooms during normal classroom time

Question 13

The goal of MI is to…

Answer 13

• increase PA

- reduce sedentary time (mostly elementary age) `

Question 14

Strategies for MI include:

Answer 14

• incorporating PA during academic lessons
• scheduling short PA breaks between lessons
• injecting PA into transition periods

Question 15

Free recall (learning Italian study) results:

Answer 15

integrated condition outperformed all conditions

Question 16

Cued recall (learning Italian study) results:

Answer 16

all conditions outperformed the conventional condition

Question 17

Movement can be integrated into schools in a multitude of ways:

Answer 17

• academic lessons
• breaks or transitions
• recess
• PE

Question 18

Howie et al. key results:

Answer 18

• 10 minutes of classroom activity breaks improved on-task behaviour in children
• concentration or attention

Question 19

Teachers have a fear that after an exercise break….

Answer 19

students will not be able to settle back down into the lesson

Question 20

The Howie et al. study suggests that students do not become more ____ _____ after a brief, high intensity classroom activity break, but instead increase their…

Answer 20

• off-task

- on-task behaviour

Question 21

Teachers in the Howie et al. study said they were…

Answer 21

willing to implement similar breaks of short duration

Question 22

American Academy of Pediatrics made how many recommendations regarding recess?

Answer 22

6

Question 23

AAP recommendation 1 (recess):

Answer 23

recess is a necessary break in the day for optimizing a child’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development

Question 24

AAP recommendation 2 (recess):

Answer 24

cognitive processing and academic performance depend on regular breaks from concentrated classroom (academic) work

Question 25

AAP recommendation 3 (recess):

Answer 25

• recess is complementary to, but not a replacement for PE
• PE is an academic discipline
• recess provides creative, social, and emotional benefits of play (that might not be gained in PE)

Question 26

AAP recommendation 4 (recess):

Answer 26

recess can serve as a counterbalance to sedentary time and contribute to the recommended 60 min of daily MVPA

Question 27

AAP recommendation 5 (recess):

Answer 27

whether structured or unstructured, recess should be safe and well supervised (and should not be discontinued just because of child safety concerns)

Question 28

AAP recommendation 6 (recess):

Answer 28

• peer interactions during recess are a unique compliment to the classroom
• provides opportunities for communication, negotiation, cooperation, problem-solving, coping
• fundamental to the school experience, are important life skills

Question 29

Tower of London test looked at speed of….

Answer 29

• decision time (time until the first move)

- execution time (time from first to last move)

Question 30

Tower of London test saw positive correlation between:

Answer 30

• Tower of London score

- total PA

Question 31

Tower of London test saw negative correlation between:

Answer 31

• Tower of London execution time

- total PA or MVPA

Question 32

2 executive functions in Tower of London test:

Answer 32

• problem solving

- planning