ABSTRACT
Regular physical activity supports healthy child development by improving memory, concentration, and positive outlook. The fact is that children learn better when they are active and engaged. Dr. Benden's research in pilot schools, as well as other research, shows that exercise has both a physiological and developmental impact on children's brains. Education has become so focused on testing that we forgot how children actually learn. Jane Hsu, the principal of a New York City elementary school, has banned all homework from her school. Beyond health, there is also research to suggest that how we educate may be the reason that students' creativity and intelligence is hindered through their informative years. Studies provide evidence that many years of fine motor exercise allows brain reorganization and nerve growth. The researchers sorted the children into highest and lowest fitness categories based upon treadmill testing. Finally, the children's brains were scanned, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology to measure the volume of specific areas.
