Since the previous posting - and a little hiatus - lots have happened. In the world of sport we watched the Tour de France and Olympics in awe. We suffered with, and shouted for joy as prime athletes faced their own challenges and objectives. We saw NBA basketball wrap up and NFL football taken off. All the while keeping an eye on the long season of baseball. Formula I championship points shift with every race and NASCAR's best are duelling it out for the Cup as the season rolls to an end.
On a personal level I discovered the Paleo lifestyle and have managed to shed about 35 pounds over the past year - with one major relapse and a 14 pound weight gain while traveling abroad and taking care of family issues. I learned first-hand that everyone can start over again and today is the best day to do so.
On a professional level we finalized the Fizika Active Learning Specialist Certification course. This project has been a year in the making and we consider it a first where brain research, physical literacy, and best practices are combined in one program to impact student performance and behavior which ultimately drives school improvement plans. Every teacher and administrator should look into it.
But what caught the eye for this posting was an article in the Independent (London) Newspaper - September 20, 2013, with the headline "Reading and Math Achievements Up in England". It goes on to share that the percentage of England's 11-year-old students reaching level four or above on national curriculum tests increased this year by three percentage points in reading and four percentage points in math. A bit more so by boys than girls.
After almost 12 years and millions spend on sports colleges across the country (magnet schools with a sports theme), a successful hosting of the Olympics and excellent performance on the podium by British athletes, it is not a long stretch to make the body/mind connection. Enough research shows that physical activity impacts brain performance and the 'UK Experiment' shows the impact of a concerted effort to promote physical activity on a macro level. There is no doubt in my mind that the increased participation in sport at school level is now reflected in the academic performance of the second generation of students exposed to this practice. Hopefully the fine folks in the UK who pioneered Physical Literacy will do some research on this topic.
Michael Cordier
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