By: Christine M. Riley, Education
Advocate, Cape Cod Advocate
A
Harvard professor specializing in ADHD said it is “mental medicine, preparing
kids to get ready for a day of learning.”
You
may think we are ready to introduce a new drug or behavioral therapy regimen.
Instead,
we are raving about good, old-fashioned exercise! The difference is, it is
delivered in a curriculum, offered before school, and led by volunteers trained
in a Reebok-sponsored program.
Ready to learn
This,
then, is BOKS—Build Our Kids' Success—a free, 45-minute before-school
fitness program aimed at getting kids moving in the morning so their minds are
ready for a day of learning.
The mission of BOKS is to promote the benefits of
physical activity for mind, body and community in elementary-age students.
Eleven Cape Cod schools are in on the program, according to the BOKS website.
Big impact on ADHD
BOKS “is for kids in
general, but it has a big effect for kids with ADHD,” says Dr. John Ratey,
clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author
of several ADHD books.
Ratey’s research found
that exercise for 15 to 20 minutes at 60 to 80 percent of the normal heart rate
has the effects of a small dose of Ritalin or Prozac. By releasing natural
drugs into the body through exercise, BOKS is like mental medicine, preparing kids
for a day of learning.
His findings are backed by a recent study showing
that regular, half-hour aerobic sessions
before school helped students with ADHD symptoms become more attentive.
BOKS in Sandwich's Forestdale School
“Regardless of ability or
disability, everyone is included. If a child needs adult support, it is
provided,” said Diana Barbosa, Social Worker at the Forestdale School in
Sandwich. BOKS had such a positive impact there in its inaugural year, the
program quickly filled to capacity at 40 students, and a waiting list was
initiated.
Plans are to increase
capacity to 80 students for the 2016-17 school year. “We’ve seen a great
response through parent surveys and the kids themselves. BOKS not only
increases physical activity, it helps to build social skills,” she said.
The Forestdale School’s
45-minute program begins with free play, then moves into nutrition, the BOKS
Rocks cheer, a locomotive activity, and a fun game highlighting social skills.
It ends with the school cheer: “Hip hip hooray, have a great day!”
Over 1,200 schools
have implemented BOKS programs nationwide, as have community groups such as the
Cape Cod Children’s Museum.
What does it take?
Volunteers--parents, teachers or community members-- who are willing to be
trained in the curriculum, are the prime ingredients. If you are interested in initiating
BOKS at your child’s school, clear instructions and sample curriculum and
training programs are included on the BOKS
website.
Founder Kathleen Tullie and
a small group of other Moms who believed in the mission launched BOKS in 2009.
They were the first volunteers of what became a nationwide movement that
ultimately teamed up with Massachusetts-based Reebok to bring the program to
schools in 48 states and six countries.
Christine M. Riley established Cape Cod Advocate 11 years ago to provide educational consultation and advocacy for children of all ages and disabilities. A certified mediator, she is trained through Wrightslaw and the Federation for Children with Special Needs (FCSN). Christine is a member of National Council of Parents, Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) and Special Needs Advisory Network-Massachusetts (SpaN) and is a former board member of SPaN, FCSN, ISEA and SEAT.
Christine M. Riley established Cape Cod Advocate 11 years ago to provide educational consultation and advocacy for children of all ages and disabilities. A certified mediator, she is trained through Wrightslaw and the Federation for Children with Special Needs (FCSN). Christine is a member of National Council of Parents, Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) and Special Needs Advisory Network-Massachusetts (SpaN) and is a former board member of SPaN, FCSN, ISEA and SEAT.