Back to School With the Research in Mind

by Dr. Michael Oberschneider

Summer is over and our kids are heading back to school! As a child psychologist, I have spent the past few weeks assisting parents and kids with the back to school transition. Some children have no problem with returning to school after Summer while others do. And every parent wants his or her child to succeed academically. Here are some research findings to consider as we head back into the school year.

Forget about the old stereotype of “the dumb jocks,” research studies have repeatedly shown that children who exercise and who are fit perform better academically than children who are less active and heavy. In addition to improved academics, children who engage in sports have higher self-esteem, do better socially and have fewer behavioral problems. Athletes are also more likely to finish high school than non-athletes.

In addition to exercise, research has shown that healthy eating contributes to improved academic performance. So, try to limit or eliminate simple carbohydrates, fast foods and fried foods and replace those options with healthier ones when possible.

While it is tempting for parents to rely on screens to keep their children happy, we really want to keep screen and media time use to a minimum. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends NO screen time use for children two years of age and younger, yet research shows that approximately 30% of babies under one year watch 90 minutes of TV and videos daily on average. And the time spent with screens increases exponentially with age with approximately 64% of toddlers reportedly watching TV and videos. Children between 8 and 18 years of age spend over 7 hours daily engaging in screen and/or media time activities. These numbers are very concerning given that several studies have found that limiting screen and media time improves academics and sleep and decreases behavior problems.

As human beings we are social beings, thus it is not surprising that research has found a correlation between social competence and academic achievement. Whether your child is an introvert or an extrovert, getting him or her involved in both structured and unstructured activities with same-aged peers is a good thing. Poor socialization could not only impact grades over time, but it could also create emotional and behavioral problems.

Research has shown that nearly 25% of children will experience sleep problems at some point during childhood, and children with sleep problems have lower academic performance. Research in this area supports the notion that successful students tend to sleep more. While each child is unique, sleep experts recommend that children between 3 and 6 years of age should get 10-12 hours of sleep per night, children between the ages of 7 and 12 years of age should get 10-11 hours of sleep per night, and children between 12 and 18 years of age should get 8-9 hours of sleep per night.

Academic success is also associated with family time. For example, research studies have shown that consistent family dinners improve children’s vocabularies, reading skills and achievement scores and contribute to higher grades. Children who consistently eat meals with their families also have lower rates of smoking, alcohol use and drug use when compared to their peers who eat dinner with their families less frequently. I know that we are all very busy in Northern Virginia, and working long days is the norm for many of us. But try to remember that investing time in your children is very important. It will pay back in dividends for their developing emotional, social and academic identities.

Wishing everyone a successful 2014-2015 school year!

Dr. Michael Oberschneider is the founder and director of Ashburn Psychological and Psychiatric Services. Send questions to moberschneider@hotmail.com.

Image via Shutterstock, Patch