Scot Stephenson
Elementary Special Methods-PE/Health
Spring 2000
Advocacy Paper for February 11, 2000

    Having daily physical education for all children in our schools is the most cost effective way to improve almost every aspect of student achievement and behavior. Recent studies have proven that physical activity is more than just fun. It is essential to learning and life, from the obvious aspect of a person’s physical health to the not so obvious aspect of academic learing. Barton says, “Motor skills are not only critical life skills that enable us to go about our daily lives effectively and safely; motor skills are also important determinates of our ability to participate in our culture, and develop and maintain a physically active lifestyle.” Physical education can improve self-esteem, provide stress reduction, and create better cognitive functioning. “Children engaging in daily physical education show superior motor fitness, academic performance and attitude towards school as compared to their counterparts who do not participate in daily physical education,” according to  Pollatscheck and Hagen. The school culture will benefit as well. “PE promotes prosocial behaviors, value and moral development, the enhancement of self esteem, appreciation and tolerance of others, and leadership/followership skills,” according to Tjeerdsma.
Why is this so? Can simple old PE be such a silver bullet? It sounds like the Ginsu that slices and dices and doubles as a wrench for only $19.95, but it is true. Really.
    Hannaford writes that “movement activates the neural wiring thoughout the body, making the whole body the instrument of learning. Movement plays an essential role in creating nerve cell networks that are the essence of learning.” Also, “there is a correlation between body-space awareness and paper-space awareness,” so students good in PE will do better at writing too, as evidenced by the cross-crawling phenomenon. Becraft writes, “research has demonstrated that regularly performed aerobic exercise produces an increase in the number of capillaries serving a number of tissues and organs, including the brain.” This is an opportunity too good to pass up. We “have the ability to improve the size, weight and quality of a child’s brain by providing a rich sensory environment.” In addition, “physical activity reduces the production of stress chemicals which interfere with learning.” You know that when you exercise you feel better about yourself, more alert, more alive. Shouldn't we give our kids the same great feeling? I would even go so far as to require the student’s teachers to participate as well. Good idea, but of course they wouldn’t want to give up their prep, too bad for them.
     If we can’t find the time or money to give every child daily physical education with a specialist, then at least we can encourage or even require a short period with the classroom teacher. The benefits: physical motor skills, enhanced self-esteem, more brain power, better attentiveness, better social behaviors, increased communication, and lots of fun are worth it. Go team!