Journaling

You will notice that after most classes, we spend time letting the kids journal. Why?


"Learning breaks that promote movement are being linked to the ability to pay attention. Researchers at the University of Illinois found that breaking for physical activity prompted marked improvements in testing that measures the ability to attend to a task.
A post-exercise analysis of event-related brain potentials (ERP), neuroelectric signals that are a covert measure of how the brain manages attention, indicated that kids who took time off from the learning activity to be physically active were better at allocating attentional resources. Test results indicated that they could attend to a task or learning situation better than their non-physical counterparts. Researchers are hopeful that future studies will help to solidify the link between attention and time allocated to physical activity. ~CrossFit Kids Course"

While journaling isn't test taking or traditional school work, we do give the kids a specific subject and have them draw or write what that means to them. The level of their concentration is astounding. Many days it's hard to pull them away from their journals. After Tuesday's 4-7 year old class, I had them draw a goal in their journal. Goal setting is a completely new concept for kids in that age range. I gave them ideas (handstands, better listening, running faster, getting a pullup, better squats, burpees, etc). A few of the "goals" were back flip (oh boy, Ive got my work cut out for me!), star jumps and situps. 

Also, this picture made me smile (found on CrossFit Kids Facebook page)

Here are some pictures of our awesome kids and teens