It has taken scientists awhile to catch up to what teachers have noticed for a long time--nutrition affects learning in children. This means that without the proper combination of carbohydrates, vitamins and nutrients, a child's brain will not perform as well as it should. Carbohydrates are found in fruits, vegetables and grains. Nutritionists agree that whole grains are best.
Significance
In Midvale, Utah, sixth grade teacher Claudia Jimenez notes that she can see a difference in the way children learn who have eaten a good breakfast. She says that the children who have participated in the school's breakfast program are more observant and cognizant. This anecdotal evidence coincides with a study conducted by Tufts University in 1989 that determined children who ate a school breakfast performed better on institutionalized testing.
Breakfast is Best
Breakfast, as it turns out, is the most important meal of the day. If children do not receive a breakfast that has key nutrients in it like protein, vitamin A, vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc, they can become agitated and sleepy. The Tufts Study also determined that children who skipped breakfast tended to miss school more and were unable to problem-solve as well, and had generally slower memories.
Considerations
According to the Dairy Council of California, poor nutrition does not always correlate with lower socioeconomic factors. Parents need nutritional education about which foods they should be serving their children in the morning. Iron deficiency is one problem that prevents children from learning. Children must have protein, or they can become anemic which affects their attention span. It is not always children from poor families that develop bad eating habits. Often, children who come from two-parent working homes are left to look after themselves, and they don't know what to eat.
Effects
However, the Community Childhood Hunger Identification Project found connections between levels of poverty and levels of hunger in children under the age of 12. These same children were also more likely to develop infections and miss school. Additionally, children who come from urban areas are eating fast food meals, which tend to be saturated with fat, salt and sugar.
Prevention/Solution
As a child progresses through each stage of growth, she needs a particular amount and type of nutrition. Parents need to educate themselves about what their children eat and when. If a family is struggling financially, it is in the best interest of their child to look into school breakfast programs. Likewise, parents who are financially stable need to educate themselves about the types of food their children need to keep them attentive in school.
References
- The Globe: Nutrition and Learning in Children
- Dairy Council of California: Good Nutrition: The First Step in Getting Kids Ready to Learn
- Dairy Council of California: Good Nutrition: The First Step in Getting Kids Ready to Learn
- Dairy Council of California: Good Nutrition: The First Step in Getting Kids Ready to Learn
- Make Way for Baby: Children's Nutrition and Learning
