It is no secret that many who view physical education from
an outsider’s perspective view it as a joke. As a future physical educator it
is my responsibility and duty to prove these people wrong and advocate for my
future profession. I am pleased to have been introduced to the idea of Paul
Zientarski’s ‘learning readiness’ as a solid foundation to support the
importance of physical education. After researching on the computer, I found an
interesting example of programs that are pushing this idea and who firmly
believe in learning through the physical. One mother from Natick,
Massachusetts, inspired by Dr. John Ratey’s book SPARK, established a before-school exercise program for students at
a local elementary school. The program, called Build Our Kids’ Success (BOKS),
has since expanded to 25 schools in the Boston area. Dr. Ratey laid out a
compelling argument for the positive correlation between exercise, academic
performance, and behavior issues. This particular mom garnered support from
superintendents, physical education teachers, and fellow parents to create a
non-profit corporation, which would later be sponsored by Reebok. Their goals
are to promote the profound impact of physical activity on a child's mind, body
and community. The premise of the program is Active Kids = Active Minds and
therefore, it is important to have the kids moving in the morning before school
starts or during the first few periods of the day because the effects of the
physical activity are most impactful during this time. The curriculum can
certainly be used in part during as a fun change to a PE curriculum or after
the school day.
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