How sport has a positive effect on learning

Children learn to regulate their behaviour and emotions through physical activities such as movement games or sport. This benefits their learning. Schools and parents can capitalise on this connection by encouraging their children to take part in age-appropriate games and sporting activities.

The restrictions during Covid-19 had a profound impact on all aspects of children's lives - both mentally and physically. When schools closed, physical activity declined. Unfortunately, the effect was greatest on disadvantaged children, as they have less access to safe open spaces for play and exercise.

Only when children can regulate their behaviour are they able to achieve certain goals.

Physical activity not only has a positive effect on physical health and mental well-being, but also improves the ability to regulate one's behaviour and emotions. And it is only when children can regulate their behaviour that they are able to control their actions and achieve certain goals, such as raising their hand in class instead of simply shouting the answer to the class.

Children also need the ability to regulate their emotions in order to control their feelings and express them appropriately. For example, so that a child does not immediately start arguing when they have a difference of opinion with others.

In a recent joint study with Michelle Ellefson, I investigated the link between physical activity, self-regulation and learning success in over 4000 children. In seven-year-olds, a link was found between physical activity and an improved ability to regulate emotions.

Better regulation of emotions is in turn associated with better test results for reading and maths. In eleven-year-old children, a connection between physical activity and improved regulation of behaviour was demonstrated, which is associated with better academic performance.

The research results thus indicate that physical activity leads to better school success by influencing different types of self-regulation in different age groups.

Games and sport can help to reduce the differences in learning performance between children from different social backgrounds.

Interestingly, the relationship between physical activity and the ability to self-regulate appears to be stronger in disadvantaged children than in the comparison group. The results of our study suggest that disadvantaged children benefit most from physical activity.

We believe that games and sports that promote attention or concentration on a task can help to reduce the differences in learning performance between children from different social backgrounds.

Playing with your children provides them with a learning environment

Teachers can utilise this effect by incorporating suitable games into physical education lessons, while parents can play with their children at home.

In early childhood, games that require the regulation of emotions are particularly helpful. Good examples are the games «armchair dance» and «musical statues». In these games, children move to music and as soon as it stops, they have to sit down quickly on one of the chairs or freeze in mid-movement to control their movements. A child who is eliminated also learns to keep their emotions in check.

Games based on co-operation are also helpful. In one of these games, one child covers their eyes and is guided along a path by another child. The two must work towards a common goal and control their emotions when the task becomes difficult.

This ultimately helps them to regulate their emotions better. As a result, they are less likely to get carried away by their emotions in the classroom and can concentrate better on the task in front of them.

The behaviour control learned on the pitch can be transferred to school.

When children reach adolescence, schools and parents can encourage them to take part in club sports where they have to control their behaviour. In netball, for example, players must stop as soon as they can hold the ball, throw it accurately to other players or play it into the net.

The behaviour control learned on the playing field could be transferred to the classroom. Students could therefore control their behaviour during lessons and resist the temptation to play with their classmates instead of working.

More studies are needed, but the research to date points to a promising link between participation in team sports and better academic performance.