Abstract Recent investigations in the neuroscience of physical activity (PA) have shown that higher fit pre-adolescent students as young as 3rd grade have greater basal ganglia and hippocampal volume, resulting in significantly better performance in tests of attentional control, memory, learning, and achievement on standardized tests (Chaddock et al, 2010, Herting & Nagel, 2012). Acute bouts of physical activity, regardless of fitness level, have shown similar improvements in attention, memory, and performance on standardized tests of reading and math calculation (Hillman et al, 2009). Student reading ability by the end of 3rd grade is highly predictive of high school graduation, and represents the most important benchmark in preadolescent student achievement (Hernandez, 2011, Lloyd, 1978). Recess and physical education (PE) class are opportunities for students to be physically active within the school day, and may allow for improvements in fitness and cognitive function. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between time spent in PA during the school day and 3rd grade reading ability (3GR). PE teachers and principals in Illinois elementary schools serving kindergarten through 3rd grade will be surveyed to gather minutes of recess and PE students receive per week. 3GR scores for each elementary school will be accessed from the Illinois State Board of Education, and correlations will be regressed using multiple factors of student achievement, including socioeconomic status and per pupil funding. It is hypothesized that schools providing higher amounts of PA time will have higher or unchanged average 3GR scores than schools that provide less PA.

Method Survey Investigators will survey Illinois elementary schools to determine the

amount of time students spend engaged in physical activity during a typical week.

Electronic survey via email, along with follow-up phone calls will be

used to gather the needed information (i.e. minutes / week of Physical Education, Recess, and other regular physical activity opportunities)

School achievement data in 3rd grade reading will be collected via

Illinois State Board of Education public reporting website. School level analysis will be done with minutes per week of physical

activity as the independent variable and percent of 3rd grade students “meeting or exceeding” standards on Illinois State Achievement Test (ISAT) as the dependent variable.

Research Questions 1.  Is physical activity time during school related to early reading ability?

a.  Does increased time spent in recess, PE, and other physical activity correlate to increases in reading proficiency by the end of 3rd grade?

2.  Is physical activity a moderator of socioeconomic status in relation to early reading ability?

a.  Does physical activity off-set the effects of lower socioeconomic status on early reading ability?

Ben Kern, Gabriella McLoughlin, Kim C. Graber Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The relationship between in-school physical activity opportunities and third grade reading ability

Herting and Nagel (2012). Aerobic fitness relates to learning on a virtual morris water task and hippocampal volume in adolescents. Behavioral Brain Research, 233(2): 517–525.

Chaddock et al, (2010). Basal ganglia volume is associated with aerobic fitness in preadolescent children. Developmental Neuroscience, 32, 249-256.

Hillman et al, (2009). The effects of acute treadmill walking on cognitive control and academic achievement in preadolescent children. Neuroscience, 159, 1044-1054.

Analysis Power calculations Power calculations will be used to determine an adequate sample

size based on an estimated correlation of physical activity time to early reading ability

Simple linear regression Linear regression will determine the degree to which the

independent variable (physical activity time) is related to the dependent variable (early reading ability).

F test will be used to test the proportion of early reading ability

accounted for by physical activity time. Additional significance testing will include independent t-test of the

slope of the regression coefficient (b)

Effect of Fitness and Physical activity on reading ability

u  Attention Control

u  Working Memory

u  Reading Performance

u  Math Performance

Cardiovascular fitness

Brain structure & function

Acute physical activity

Family environment •  # books •  Parent involvement •  Likelihood to be read to •  Maternal sensitivity •  Quality of interactions with

adults

School environment •  Teacher quality •  Instructional quality •  Material & physical resources •  Peer quality

Community environment •  Safety •  Support for education •  Conditions of and near school

Early reading ability

HS Graduation Future academic performance Self-efficacy

PE Recess

Home play

Community recreation

Physical activity is a moderator due to

increased cognitive function

Socioeconomic status effects reading ability

Socioeconomic status

Theoretical Framework

Social Ecological Theory