Feed The Children

As a teacher you observe many things.  I also tutor children and adults.  One issue I would like to address is making sure your child is totally ready for the educational experience.  I notice on many occasions my students come to class very hungry.  In fact, sometimes they are starving.  Some don’t have enough of a snack and others don’t have snacks at all.  First, children who come to class with a snack are ready to learn.  They can focus, participate, and think critically because they are not hungry.  When they are hungry, they can only concentrate on when they will eat their next meal.  Another words, their thinking ability is shot.  It may sound dramatic but I sometime see the hunger biting at them.  They cry a little or push their fists into their stomachs.  They start watching the clock becoming miserable and irritable.  Second, when a child is hungry I find that the lesson is a waste of time.  If your child cannot concentrate on the lesson how will they learn the skills being taught?  Thinking burns a lot of energy. Studies have shown that children with poor nutrition can experience cognitive problems.  Food is one of the factors that fuel the body and mind.

 I have literally heard parents say “wait until after tutoring session and I’ll get you something.”  That is a big mistake.  Usually that happens because the parent is running late and does not want to cheat the child out of tutoring time.     Last, a child who eats nutritious meals will make better food decisions in the future.  We learn our food habits when we are children.  Obesity and diabetes are on the rise with today’s youth.  Helping them learn from the beginning will help them make more informed nutritional choices for their future.  So next time your child is going to tutoring or school, make sure they have a nutritious snack.  It will make the educational experience for child, mom, and teacher a pleasant one.

Sigrid

Several studies have found effects of hunger and poor nutrition on cognitive ability. One such study found that among fourth grade students, those who had the least protein intake in their diets had the lowest achievement scores (ASFSA, 1989).

A laboratory study that involved healthy, well-nourished school-aged children found a negative effect of morning fasting on cognitive performance. A test of the speed and accuracy of response on problem-solving tasks given to children who did or did not eat breakfast found that skipping breakfast had an adverse influence on their performance on the tests (Pollitt et al., 1991).

Children who are hungry or undernourished also have more difficulty fighting infection. Therefore, they are more likely to become sick, miss school, and fall behind in class.

http://ericdigests.org/1994/nutrition.htm