Research that Benefits Children and Families

If I possessed the means and knowledge to conduct research studies about any topic in the early childhood field and I was not restricted by the reality of the present. I would choose the topic of physical activity in early education. I feel that this study would make a major positive contribution to the well-being of children and their families.

By studying the amount of physical activity of children, I would hope to be some part of improving the lives of children and families. I would want to research how increased physical activity could lower the likelihood of childhood obesity. I would ask the question, does physical activity have an impact on children’s increased attention span in school? I see how physical activity helps the children in my own classroom. If my children are given the opportunity for free uninterrupted movement on the playground, they are better able to engage in structured in the classroom learning. I also notice that in circle time, if my children are given the opportunity for movement, they are better able to engage in stories and learning. The findings could contribute to a body of research and have a positive effect on policy makers and practitioner’s decisions to cut play time and recess time out of the daily schedule in early childhood settings. Families would benefit from this research as they would see the need to limit the amount of screen time and get their children moving. I would conduct my research guided by explicit ethics guidelines and hope to be an example of high quality research that benefit children and families.