Youngest world champion visits King School in Portland to lead students in GoNoodle physical activity breaks
04/15/14 Portland, Ore.
Sponsored by OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital and Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel, GoNoodle is designed to improve student health, engagement, performance
While only about one-quarter of youth meet the current recommendation of at least 60 minutes of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity, Portland students are getting more active right in the classroom using GoNoodle physical activity breaks or “brain breaks.” GoNoodle is an online suite of interactive physical activity games designed to improve student engagement, behavior and performance. Each GoNoodle activity provides students with 3-5 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity they can perform next to their desks.
More than 44,000 students in Portland Public Schools have access to GoNoodle, and its companion health curriculum product HealthTeacher, thanks to a generous sponsorship by OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital and Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel.
One of the GoNoodle activities, “Run With US!,” created in collaboration with the USA Track and Field Foundation, features Olympians and elite athletes coaching students in virtual track and field events.
Mary Cain, the youngest runner to compete in the 2013 World Championships (1500m), and Galen Rupp, a silver medalist at the London 2012 Olympic games (10,000m), led students in GoNoodle physical activity breaks in classroom Tuesday, April 15, at King School and Forest Park Elementary, respectively.
Research shows that short bursts of physical activity have positive health benefits and improve student performance. According to a report from the Institute of Medicine, “Children who are more active show greater attention, have faster cognitive processing speed, and perform better on standardized academic tests than children who are less active.”
In addition to the track and field games, GoNoodle includes dancing and calming exercises along with activities that incorporate math, spelling and vocabulary. Combining movement with learning provides an opportunity for students to benefit from activity while teachers can choose what types of activities to offer. Teachers in Portland Public Schools can access GoNoodle for free by visiting gonoodle.com.
About OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital
OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital ranks among the nation’s "Best Children’s Hospitals."* It is one of only 22 National Institutes of Health-designated Child Health Research Centers in the country and ranks 39th for NIH awards to children's hospitals and their university-affiliated department of pediatrics.**
Nationally recognized physicians and nurses at OHSU Doernbecher provide a full range of pediatric care to tens of thousands of children each year from Oregon, Southwest Washington and around the nation in a family-centered environment. OHSU Doernbecher specialists also travel throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington, caring for more than 3,000 children at more than 200 outreach clinics in 15 locations. Neonatal and pediatric critical care experts provide round-the-clock consultations to community hospitals statewide through OHSU Doernbecher's state-of-the-art telemedicine network.
* U.S. News & World Report 2013-14 Best Children’s Hospitals
** National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI)
About Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel
Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel is one of Oregon’s largest providers of pediatric inpatient and trauma services and opened its new home in February 2012. Randall Children's Hospital has a medical staff of more than 600 physicians, including pediatric medical and surgical specialists, sub-specialists, hospitalists and community pediatricians. Randall Children's Hospital receives over 100,000 patient visits per year. The Children's Emergency Department is Oregon's busiest, with more than 20,000 visits annually.
GoNoodle is a research-based classroom resource for elementary teachers to improve student engagement and youth health through desk side physical activity breaks. Helping to increase energy and focus while improving classroom behavior, GoNoodle’s activities can be played on an interactive whiteboard, projector or computer screen. Sign up for free at gonooodle.com.