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Commentary: In-class breakfasts a promising innovation
Written by Robert Reichardt on Feb 7th, 2012. | Copyright © EdNewsColorado.org
We have in the past received the breakfast in the classroom grant and found that the participation of students eating was almost 100%. The kids were more focused and on task the rest of the day. It took a little while to work out the kinks with delivery system and breakfast count but once in place it went smoothly.
Sounds like a program worth trying, thanks Robert. It is kinda sad though that it has come to this in America. Maybe it also highlights that there are limits to present reform efforts centered on teacher effectiveness, choice, and giving schools letter grades. It would be fascinating to know what extent cutting physical fitness has had on how well students perform academically. I know those studies are out there–I wonder, if cutting PE for “extra” time doing math or reading has really been worth it. Maybe better nutrition and exercise allowed for better achievement after all.
I’m all for daily PE for all K-8 students.
Food quality is key. One caution about breakfast programs is that, especially given that food must be delivered to classrooms, there is great temptation to rely on packaged, processed, high sugar and fat breakfast items like cereal bars, white flour muffins, cinnamon rolls, and even donuts. The yogurt is often high in sugar, as well as the cereal. I’ve seen this in practice. Some students eat healthy at home and then come to school for a second, unhealthy meal. Call me elitist, but if I were a parent I would be tempted to take my child to school late everyday so they wouldn’t be trained to crave the very substances that are causing our epidemic of obesity. They would pack a lunch, too. Sad, but true.
My principal implemented the breakfast in the classroom program at our comprehensive middle school this year. I applaud her for using this strategy to respond to “our changing student population and the very real problem of hunger in our communities.”
Anecdotally, without having test evidence available at this point in the year, I believe it is having a positive effect on our learners. Teachers and students rolled out the program with the understanding that starting the day with breakfast together was part of how we do business. It prepares us to learn. The first fifteen minutes is spent energizing our bodies to prepare our brains for the mental tasks ahead.
Of course, dealing with adolescents, there were some lessons learned. At first we had to combat the young girls feeling insecure about eating in front of their male peers. And then we had to combat the myth that only those on free and reduced lunch (a stigma at the secondary levels) are those who receive the food. It was important to establish this as a norm for the whole school.
I believe that our student achievement can only increase because we are taking care of the whole child. And heck, eating Cheerios with your students–what a great way to build classroom community!