Physical Influences
Sarah Edelsohn
The developing brain is sensitive to a variety of outside factors such as...
Nutrition
Sleep
Exercise
Enviornmental Toxins
Nutrition
Having the proper nutrition is vital for brain development and function. One of the most notable instances of this occouring is in iron deficient students. Iron deficiancy anemia can lead to issues with memory and cognition which results in lower test scores.
Sleep
Sleep is vital for nearly every human function. Without the proper amount of sleep, general cognitive functioning, emotional regulation, mood disorders and problems both in and out of school increase.
Exercise
There is a strong association between physical exercise and its enduring impact on the brain. Exercise has been linked to improvements in children's ability to concentrate, their ability to control their impulses as well as increased reading comprehension.
Enviornmental Toxins
Young children are particularly suseptable to enviornemtnal toxins because they tend to absorb toxins more quickly. This is because of their slight stature as well as because of their high metabolism. Toxins such as led and pesticides have been the culprit of poor developmental outcomes.
What should educators do about these problems?
Nutrition:
One thing educators can do, is keep snacks for low energy students. Also, be aware of which students are in the free/reduced lunch list. These student's may have difficulty getting nutritious food outside of class.
Sleep:
Students need their sleep. If they don't have the ability to get restful sleep at home, it may impact their schooling. One thing educators can do to help these students is to not punish students who fall asleep in class. That work that they missed can be can up.
Exercise:
Exercise has been proven to help children's ability to concntrate. Educators can begin every class with fifty jumping jacks. This movement will help them focus on the lesson.
Environmental Toxins:
This category is a bit more difficult to navigate as it is not something that educators can control, but you can be aware of the way that toxins impact the body.