Exercise has an undeniable link to the development of better bodies. A recent study conducted by University of Delaware researchers found that speech-language therapy improves children’s vocabulary growth. The study, which was published in the journal ‘Journal of Speech-Language and Hearing Research,’ highlights one of the first studies on the impact of exercise on vocabulary learning in children.
Children who swam or participated in other motor movement-focused exercises performed 13% better on vocabulary tests than children who did not exercise. According to researchers, movement-focused exercises can aid in the encoding of new words in children.
Swimming a few laps will almost certainly not turn your child into the next Katie Ledecky or Michael Phelps, but it may help them become the next J.K. Rowling or Stephen King. A recent study suggests that aerobic exercise, such as swimming, can help children grow their vocabulary.
According to a recent study conducted by University of Delaware researchers, exercise can help children grow their vocabulary. The study, which was published in the Journal of Speech-Language and Hearing Research, was one of the first to look at the effect of exercise on vocabulary learning in children.
Swimming a few laps likely won’t turn your child into the next Katie Ledecky or Michael Phelps, but it just might help them become the next J.K. Rowling or Stephen King.
Children ages 6 to 12 were taught new words before doing one of three things: swimming, CrossFit exercises, or coloring a sheet. In follow-up tests of vocabulary words, the children who swam were 13% more accurate.
It makes sense to the lead researcher, Maddy Pruitt, a former college swimmer who now attends CrossFit classes on a regular basis. “Motor movement aids in the encoding of new words,” she explained, adding that exercise has been shown to increase levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a protein Pruitt refers to as the “Miracle-Gro of the brain.”
So, why did swimming make a difference but CrossFit didn’t? Pruitt attributes it to the amount of energy required by the brain during each exercise. Swimming is an activity that children can do without much thought or instruction. While the CrossFit exercises were new to them, it was more automatic. The children had to learn the moves, which took mental energy.
Pruitt completed the study as part of her Master’s Capstone Project and will graduate in 2020. She is now a speech-language pathologist at an elementary school in South Carolina, where she puts her research to use. “My sessions are almost never at a table,” she explained. “I’m going to take my kids to the playground or for a walk around the school.”
Giovanna Morini, Pruitt’s adviser, and coauthor is expanding on her lab’s findings. According to Morini, an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, most research into exercise looks at it from the standpoint of a healthy lifestyle, with little attention paid to language acquisition. She sees this as a rich line of inquiry and has another student conducting a similar experiment with toddlers right now.
“We were very excited about this study because it is applicable to clinicians, caregivers, and educators who can put it into practice,” Morini said. “It’s not anything out of the ordinary. However, it has the potential to significantly improve the outcomes.”
“Motor movement helps in encoding new words,” said lead researcher Maddy Pruitt, adding that exercise is known to increase levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a key molecule involved in changes related to learning and memory. However, this does not explain why swimming was beneficial but CrossFit exercises were not. Pruitt believes this is due to the amount of energy required by the brain during each exercise. While swimming requires little thought or instruction, the CrossFit exercises were new to the children and more mentally taxing.
