Messing Library

Mr. Lay's TLC study group has been reading SPARK: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by Dr. John Ratey, whose research into the benefits of exercise on the brain has drawn national attention recently. Articles have appeared on the covers of the latest issues of both U.S. News & World Report and Education Week (requires login) touting the benefits of exercise on academic performance.

Ratey's study and the recent articles highlighting it suggest through extensive research that exercise has a direct effect on the brain and can help fight memory loss, depression, attention deficit disorders, addiction, aggression, and Alzheimer's, among many other common conditions. You'll find many of the practices mentioned already fully integrated into the MICDS Physical Education curriculum (led by Department Chair Lay).

SPARK includes an extensive look at the physical fitness program at Naperville Central High School and the accompanying evidence to link exercise to improved brain function (and test scores) in education. The Education Week and U.S. News also highlight the benefits gaming has for young and old minds alike (Nintendo in particular).