Sixty Minutes of Physical Activity per Day Included Within Preschool Academic Lessons Improves Early Literacy

J Sch Health. 2016 Mar;86(3):155-63. doi: 10.1111/josh.12363.

Abstract

Background: The effects of increases in physical activity (PA) on early literacy skills in preschool children are not known.

Methods: Fifty-four African-American preschool children from a low socioeconomic urban Head Start participated over 8 months. A 2-group, quasi-experimental design was used with one preschool site participating in the PA intervention and a second site participating as the control site. The PA program was designed to promote 300 minutes/week of moderate to vigorous PA academic lessons. Academic achievement related to early literacy and phonological awareness in the areas of rhyming and alliteration were assessed at baseline, 4 and 8 months.

Results: Over 8 months, rhyming significantly (p < .01) improved in the PA group (173 ± 12%) compared with the controls (28 ± 8%) resulting in between group differences at 8 months (p < .01). Alliteration significantly (p < .01) improved in the PA group (52 ± 16%) compared with controls (13 ± 5%), resulting in between group differences at 8 months (p < .01). As minutes of exposure to moderate to vigorous PA increased, the change in picture naming (R(2) = .35, p < .05), alliteration (R(2) = .38, p < .05), and rhyming (R(2) = .42, p < .05), increased.

Conclusion: A teacher-directed PA program is effective at increasing PA and improving early literacy.

Keywords: African Americans; Head Start; childcare/daycare; language/speech; preschool curriculum.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Black or African American*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Exercise*
  • Female
  • Health Promotion / organization & administration*
  • Humans
  • Literacy*
  • Male
  • Poverty Areas
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Schools / organization & administration*
  • Time Factors