February 2017 - Generation Positive

Exercise and Physical Activity Must Be Part of 21st Century Learning

Posted by Julie Lang | Feb 23, 2017 | Healthy Body |

Rule #1: Exercise boosts brain power.” I know from a workshop I attended a few years ago on brain research that exercise has beneficial effects on cognitive functioning. In his book, John Medina, developmental molecular biologist, makes this lesson even more clear. He asks the question, “Is there a relationship between exercise and mental alertness? The answer is, it turns out, yes.” Medina writes, “A lifetime of exercise can result in a sometimes astonishing elevation in cognitive performance, compared to those who are sedentary. Exercisers outperform couch potatoes in tests that measure long-term memory, reasoning, attention, problem-solving, even so-called fluid...

10 Easy Ideas for Fun-Based Learning Using Developmental Toys You Already Have

Posted by Julie Lang | Feb 16, 2017 | Positive Mind |

Can your daughter’s favourite princess help her learn to navigate tough social situations? Can his Pokémon card collection advance her literacy? Can a set of blocks help them understand important STEM skills? The answer is yes, if they’re used thoughtfully. Play-based learning is incredibly powerful. When you use toys and objects that are familiar to a child, you’re setting up an environment that is conducive to education. Kids will embrace learning because to them it’s not work — it’s play, and it’s fun! Get started with these 10 easy ideas for using toys and everyday objects you already have...

The Quibble About Quitting Pros and Cons of Letting Your Child Throw in The Towel

Posted by Julie Lang | Feb 9, 2017 | Emotions |

To quit, or not to quit. That is the question. Your 7-year-old daughter begs to join a Brownie troop, then hides and refuses to go on the second day. Your 10-year-old son makes the soccer team, but a couple of games into the season (after some $100 has been spent on gear and registration) complains he doesn’t want to play anymore. What’s a responsible parent to do? While it’s difficult to see our kids face anxiety, we worry letting them bow out of their commitments will turn them into weak, impulsive people unable to handle future setbacks or rational...

How the education system is making kids stressed and sick

Posted by Julie Lang | Feb 2, 2017 | Education |

The says author Lucy Clark. So what is going so wrong with education in Australia, and what can be done to fix it? When Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull sat his year 12 exams in 1972, he apparently didn’t feel much pressure to do well. “I wasn’t as stressed out about the exams as perhaps I should have been,” Mr Turnbull later recalled. “There’s no point being anything other than chilled when you do the exam.” Just you try telling that to a high school student today. Indeed, the pressure of school has ramped up considerably since the ’70s; thanks in...