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Has the focus on physical activity ruined playtime for kids?: PBS

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Has the focus on physical activity ruined playtime for kids?: PBS

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Health Topic: Physical Activity

In this article it discusses (Summary):

-This an article explains how children are not preferring physical activity anymore during playtime. When researchers asked students what they find fun during their free time most said answers like, playing video games, watching movies, and reading. These types of activities allows the children to sit in one spot for a long period of time. So, children are feeling unmotivated when it comes time to participate in physical activities.

What can teachers do in the classroom to help children learn from this topic?:

-When teachers ask their students what they like to do when they go home on the weekends, the typical response that they usually get is, “I like to play video games with my (brother or sister)”. I have personally seen this a lot in my field. Teachers can incorporate physical activities into students lives by sending home papers about upcoming sports for their school. Like when soccer or t-ball season comes around, make an announcement about it to parents/guardians.

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A third of children in the U.S. are obese, and encouraging more active play is frequently cited as a great way to keep kids in shape. But creating scheduled playtime built only around physical activity might be draining the broader benefits out of play, a new study in Canada found.

A team of scientists at the University of Montreal set out to discover how children define play. 25 kids between 7 and 11 were interviewed and asked to take photographs to describe their favorite ways to play. The results of their novel study are published in the journal Qualatative Health Research.

The researchers found that physical activity is only one part of what kids like about playing, and that regimented physical play built around fitness doesn't satisfy all needs for many kids, or meet their own definition of "play." "By focusing on the physical activity aspect of play, authorities put aside several aspects of play that are beneficial to young people's emotional and social health," said the study's supervisor, Professor Katherine Frohlich.

The researchers isolated four key elements of play from their interviews with the children.

Play happens only "as an end in itself." Children understand play only for fun, not as a means to get physical activity or to improve their social skills.

Many forms of play the kids preferred were not active, including playing games, reading, or watching movies.

Children didn't feel attached to scheduled activities. The study described their feelings as "ambiguous."

Risk is a central and pleasurable part of play, and building too much safety into playtime subtracts this important element for many kids.

The study's abstract concludes that there is "a dissonance between children's play promoted for physical health and the meaning of play for children as emotionally contingent, intrinsically motivated, and purposeless." The researchers hope their findings will encourage parents and educators to think about how to better structure playtime.

For more on play, don't miss the PBS NewsHour American Graduate report on California's Playmaker school, where educators have tossed out desks, seating charts and grades in favor of a curriculum based on play.

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Has the focus on physical activity ruined playtime for kids?

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The researchers found that physical activity is only one part of what kids like about playing, and that regimented physical play built around fitness doesn't satisfy all needs for many kids, or meet their own definition of "play."

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Health Topic: Death/Grief/Loss

In this article it discusses (Summary):

-This an article that shows adults on what to expect your child to go through when they are experiencing death for the first time. It helps you understand that children will go through different kinds of grief depending on what age they are. It also shows you what kind of support or help you can get if needed.

Key points:

-How at certain ages children have different perspectives/view on death.

-What to expect children to do when they are confronted with the loss of a family member or close friend.

-When/how you should seek help.

What can teachers do in the classroom to help children learn from this topic?:

-If a teacher has a student that has lost a loved one, and are visibly upset. The teacher can validate their feelings, provide opportunities for them to express their feelings, and help them seek additional help from the school’s councilor.

-As a teacher it is important to understand at what ages young students gain the perspective of death and how it affects them, to gain control of a situation in your classroom when your student is experiencing these feelings.

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Children and grief: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

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Children react differently than adults when dealing with the death of a loved one. To console your own child, learn the normal responses to grief that children have and the signs when your child is not

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Help Your Child Stay at a Healthy Weight: Medline Plus

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Help Your Child Stay at a Healthy Weight: Medline Plus

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Health Topic: Healthy Eating

In this article it discusses (Summary):

-This an article shows parents/guardians how to give your child a healthy and balanced meal or snack. It also gives examples about how having an unhealthy weight can affect their child negatively and different types of health problems that they can have in the future. This article also gives resources on what to do if your child does not have a healthy weight.

What can teachers do in the classroom to help children learn from this topic?:

-Teachers can help students learn about healthy food options by providing them a whole lesson or educating them during snack time. In my preschool classroom, the parents had to provide the snacks, but there was a rule that it had to be healthy or organic. This would be a great way to show students how different snacks that are healthy are just as good as the ones they eat at home.

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How do I know if my child is at a healthy weight?

For children age 2 and older, finding out your child's body mass index (BMI) is one way to learn if they're at a healthy weight. Children grow at different rates, so it's not always easy to tell if your child is at a healthy weight. Healthy weight is also defined differently for children and teens than it is for adults.

Ask your child's doctor or nurse whether your child is at a healthy weight. You can also use this BMI calculator for children and teens if you know your child's height and weight.

What if my child is overweight or has obesity?

You can help your child make healthy choices and learn healthy habits, like eating healthy and being physically active. For kids who are overweight or have obesity, the goal is to slow down weight gain while allowing for healthy growth and development. You can do this by helping kids:

Get regular physical activity

Enjoy a variety of healthy foods from each food group, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat or fat-free dairy, and protein foods

See you making healthy choices, like eating vegetables instead of chips or drinking water instead of soda

Limit foods and drinks that have a lot of calories but not many nutrients, like foods and drinks higher in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium

Talk to your child's doctor or nurse for more information.

You can also check out these resources to learn how to cut down on:

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Help Your Child Stay at a Healthy Weight

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How do I know if my child is at a healthy weight? For children age 2 and older, finding out your child's body mass index (BMI) is one way to learn if they're at a healthy weight. Children grow at different rates, so it's not always easy to tell if your child is at a healthy weight.

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Schools are struggling to meet rising mental health needs, data shows: Washington Post

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Schools are struggling to meet rising mental health needs, data shows: Washington Post

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Health Topic: Mental and Emotional Health

In this article it discusses (Summary):

-In this article it talks about how students mental health has been declining since the pandemic and schools do not have enough resources to support all of the students. Since students were exposed to being online for school, they are now returning to the classroom without the necessary coping skills needed for their ages. There is also a bunch of statistics on what ages these resources are supplied to the most, and it was confirmed through surveys that middle and high school students had a higher chance of getting support for their mental health than elementary.

What can teachers do in the classroom to help children learn from this topic?:

-Teachers can help students improve their mental health by teaching them self coping skills when they are having a hard time. Since the schools do not have enough resources for the students to go to, the teacher can set up a calm down corner in their classroom and create a comfortable space for their students to go too, when they need time to themselves to calm down.

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Students line up to enter an elementary school in Jersey City last year. (Seth Wenig/AP)
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Ask most teachers or principals about the mental health of their students this year, and they will tell you stories of how much worse things are than normal:More fights in the hallway. Students unable to focus in class. Depression and sadness.

New federal data helps quantify just how much worse.

A survey released Tuesday documents the toll the pandemic has taken on students' mental health, with 7 in 10 public schools seeing a rise in the number of children seeking services. Even more, 76 percent, said faculty and staff members have expressed concerns about depression, anxiety and trauma in students since the start of the pandemic.

Yet only about half of all schools said they were able to effectively provide needed services.

The results come as an enormously stressful school year draws to a close. They add to the evidence that the pandemic is leaving this generation of students with significant mental health challenges. Anecdotally, teachers report that students' emotional growth was stunted during months or longer of remote schooling, and that many returned to the classroom without coping skills that would be typical for their ages.

"The pandemic has taken a clear and significant toll on students' mental health," said Peggy G. Carr, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, which conducted the survey.

The survey was conducted in April, before last week's devastating massacre at an elementary school in Uvalde, Tex.

As a result of the rising needs, 2 in 3 schools increased the types or amount of mental health services available, the survey found. Almost all schools - 96 percent - provided at least some school-based mental health services, most commonly from a school counselor or licensed mental health provider employed by the school system.

In addition, just over half of schools offered teachers training on how to help students with their social, emotional or mental well-being, and nearly half created or expanded social and emotional health programs.

Seven in 10 schools said they have a program in place to address social and emotional learning, even as those programs have come under attack from conservatives in some communities.

In 'social-emotional learning,' right sees more critical race theory

Separately, 28 percent of schools said they made changes to their daily or yearly academic calendars in hopes of mitigating mental health issues. In some places, that was a controversial move because it meant canceling classes on certain days, which caused families already exhausted by campus closures to scramble for care.

Indio High School in Southern California offers 14 support groups to address the social-emotional needs of students, Principal Derrick Lawson said. Groups address topics such as grief, wellness, anger management and social skills. Some are long term, and others meet for a short time.

Some 400 students, out of about 2,000 in the school, participate in at least one of the groups, he said. The school relies on outside providers and would run more groups, Lawson said, if he could find ways to staff them.

"We have greater need than we can find the people," he said.

In many cases, he said, the pandemic brought to the surface long-standing mental health struggles. He likened it to what appears to be a calm pool of water. "If you drain the water, all of a sudden, you find all kinds of stuff."

The federal survey found many school officials saying increased needs were not being met.

Just 12 percent of schools strongly agreed with the statement "My school is able to effectively provide mental health services to all students in need." An additional 44 percent said they moderately agreed.

That left 44 percent who either disagreed or did not express a view. The most common reasons cited were insufficient staffing and, for about half of schools, insufficient funding.

The survey did not find any statistically significant differences on this question among schools based on the racial or economic demographics of their student bodies.

It also found middle and high schools were more likely than elementary schools to say they could serve all students.

The survey found that mental health needs were acute not just for students, but for school employees, too. About 3 in 10 schools reported an increase in workers seeking school-based mental health services, and 6 in 10 reported a rise in staffers' concern over their own or their colleagues' mental health.

Some schools responded to these heightened needs by providing additional professional development on mental health and more time to prepare for classes. Three in 10 offered additional paid time off, and 14 percent increased compensation.

The survey of 830 public K-12 schools from a sample chosen to be nationally representative was conducted April 12 to 26 by the National Center for Education Statistics, part of the federal Education Department. The survey, conducted monthly, was created to track the impact of the pandemic, including how much in-person schooling was being offered by districts.

Virtually all schools now offer in-person, full-time school and have for some time. The April survey did find a drop in the share of schools that had students out of the building because of quarantines, falling from 94 percent during the omicron surge in January to 30 percent in April.

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Schools are struggling to meet rising mental health needs, data shows

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A federal survey documents the pandemic's toll, with 7 in 10 public schools seeing a rising number of students seeking mental health services. About half of schools said they were able to effectively provide resources.

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Health Topic: Safety & Preventing Unintentional Injury

In this article it discusses (Summary):

-This an article explains how crucial it is to educate your children on how to be safe when playing outside. Whether it be on the playground or playing a sport. If a child has Osteoporosis, a fall can be very serious. This article also gives many examples on what might cause a child to loose their balance and fall.

What can teachers do in the classroom to help children learn from this topic?:

-Teachers can help children play safely during recess by giving the students to abide by when running around outside. Teachers should make these rules very apparent. If students do not seem to follow these rules, you can make a reward system where if a student does well at recess they can earn points and if they break any they will loose points. This will give the students an initiative to follow these rules during recess.

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Falls can be dangerous at any age. Babies and young children can get hurt falling off furniture or down the stairs. Older children may fall off playground equipment. For older adults, falls can be especially serious. They are at higher risk of falling. They are also more likely to fracture (break) a bone when they fall, especially if they have osteoporosis. A broken bone, especially when it is in a hip, may even lead to disability and a loss of independence for older adults.

Some common causes of falls include

Balance problems

Some medicines, which can make you feel dizzy, confused, or slow

Vision problems

Alcohol, which can affect your balance and reflexes

Muscle weakness, especially in your legs, which can make it harder for you to get up from a chair or keep your balance when walking on an uneven surface.

Certain illnesses, such as low blood pressure, diabetes, and neuropathy

Slow reflexes, which make it hard to keep your balance or move out of the way of a hazard

Tripping or slipping due to loss of footing or traction

At any age, people can make changes to lower their risk of falling. It important to take care of your health, including getting regular eye exams. Regular exercise may lower your risk of falls by strengthening your muscles, improving your balance, and keeping your bones strong. And you can look for ways to make your house safer. For example, you can get rid of tripping hazards and make sure that you have rails on the stairs and in the bath. To reduce the chances of breaking a bone if you do fall, make sure that you get enough calcium and vitamin D.

NIH: National Institute on Aging

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Falls can be dangerous at any age. Babies and young children can get hurt falling off furniture or down the stairs. Older children may fall off playground equipment. For older adults, falls can be especially serious. They are at higher risk of falling.

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Students with Chronic Illnesses: NIH National Health Institute 

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Students with Chronic Illnesses: NIH National Health Institute 

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Health Topic: Personal Health and Wellness

In this article it discusses (Summary):

-This article gives ways for families, schools, and students to understand the responsibilities and protocols that should be followed if a child or student has a chronic illness. It shows what to do if there is a medical emergency, and ways to meet all of the students needs inside of the classroom.

What can teachers do in the classroom to help children learn from this topic?:

-If a teacher has a student in their classroom that is prone to have seizures, the teacher can prepare the class because this can be a traumatic thing to witness. The teacher can share a book about seizures to the students and then go over the protocol to all of the students. If a seizure was ever to occur, a student should go to the classroom next door to get support from another teacher, for them to call the nurses office to get medical help. Just so the student that is having a medical emergency is not alone. If possible, the remainder of the students in the classroom should be escorted out if they are having bad reactions.

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Understanding Child Trauma: Medline Plus

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Understanding Child Trauma: Medline Plus

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Health Topic: Trauma

In this article it discusses (Summary):

-This article give information on how children are impacted by trauma. Two thirds of children reported at least one traumatic event by the age of 16. This article gives great examples of potential events that can be traumatic, how to look for long or short term signs of traumatic stress, and how to get help.

What can teachers do in the classroom to help children learn from this topic?:

-Teachers should start to build relationships with their students from the moment that they walk through the door. This creates a safe environment for students to socialize and learn without worries. But it also creates a space for them to share any concerns that they have with a trusted individual. Teachers should also know how to recognize the signs of traumatic stress and try to help the student out by supporting them with resources.

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Fast Facts

At least 1 in 7 children have experienced child abuse and/or neglect in the past year, and this is likely an underestimate. In 2019, 1,840 children died of abuse and neglect in the United States.

Each day, more than 1,000 youth are treated in emergency departments for physical assault-related injuries.

In 2019, about 1 in 5 high school students reported being bullied on school property in the last year.

8% of high school students had been in a physical fight on school property one or more times during the 12 months before the survey.

Each day, about 14 youth die from homicide, and more than 1,300 are treated in emergency departments for violence-related injuries.
It's important to recognize the signs of traumatic stress and its short- and long-term impact.
The signs of traumatic stress may be different in each child. Young children may react differently than older children.

Preschool Children

Fear being separated from their parent/caregiver

Cry or scream a lot

Eat poorly or lose weight

Have nightmares

Elementary School Children

Become anxious or fearful

Feel guilt or shame

Have a hard time concentrating

Have difficulty sleeping

Middle and High School Children

Feel depressed or alone

Develop eating disorders or self-harming behaviors

Begin abusing alcohol or drugs

Become involved in risky sexual behavior

The Body's Alarm System

Everyone has an alarm system in their body that is designed to keep them safe from harm. When activated, this tool prepares the body to fight or run away. The alarm can be activated at any perceived sign of trouble and leave kids feeling scared, angry, irritable, or even withdrawn.

Healthy Steps Kids Can Take to Respond to the Alarm

Recognize what activates the alarm and how their body reacts

Decide whether there is real trouble and seek help from a trusted adult

Practice deep breathing and other relaxation methods

Impact of Trauma

The impact of child traumatic stress can last well beyond childhood. In fact, research has shown that child trauma survivors may experience:

Learning problems, including lower grades and more suspensions and expulsions

Increased use of health and mental health services

Increase involvement with the child welfare and juvenile justice systems

Long-term health problems (e.g., diabetes and heart disease)

Trauma is a risk factor for nearly all behavioral health and substance use disorders.
There is hope. Children can and do recover from traumatic events, and you can play an important role in their recovery.
A critical part of children's recovery is having a supportive caregiving system, access to effective treatments, and service systems that are trauma informed.

Get Help Now
SAMHSA Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator The National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Get Help Now Healthcare Toolbox: Basics of Trauma-Informed Care
Not all children experience child traumatic stress after experiencing a traumatic event. With support, many children are able to recover and thrive.

As a caring adult and/or family member, you play an important role.

Remember To:

Assure the child that he or she is safe.

Explain that he or she is not responsible. Children often blame themselves for events that are completely out of their control.

Be patient. Some children will recover quickly while others recover more slowly. Reassure them that they do not need to feel guilty or bad about any feelings or thoughts.

Seek the help of a trained professional. When needed, a mental health professional trained in evidence-based trauma treatment can help children and families cope and move toward recovery. Ask your pediatrician, family physician, school counselor, or clergy member for a referral.

Visit the following websites for more information:

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Recognize the signs of child traumatic stress and the impact that trauma may have on children. The infographic developed by SAMHSA's National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCSTI) provides information on the prevalence and impact of traumatic events on children, and what actions can be taken to support children who experience traumatic events.

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Health Topic: Personal Health and Wellness

In this article it discusses (Summary):

-This article gives information about how coughing and sneezing can spread respiratory illnesses like the flu, RSV, whopping cough, and COVID-19. This can affect others by not washing your hands, touching your face and contaminated surfaces, and sneezing out in the open air. This article also shows different ways that you can prevent spreading germs, by covering your nose/mouth when sneezing/coughing, throwing away a used tissue when your done, and using your elbow when you sneeze.

What can teachers do in the classroom to help children learn from this topic?:

-Teachers should already be aware of how easy it is for children to become sick. In a classroom setting where children are touching many surfaces throughout the day, it is important to go over the right procedures to keep everyone healthy. Teachers can create a mini lesson based on how to keep your friends healthy and go over the expectations in the classroom, like using hand sanitizer, washing your hands, and using tissues when needed. This is a good way for students to realize that when they are sick and they are touching all of the objects in the room, they are spreading these diseases to their friends.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Get information about how covering coughs and sneezes help prevent the spread of serious illnesses. Learn how to help stop the spread of germs.