Success for Our Students Starts with Breakfast
By Kelli Windsor, Communications Manager for State Programs, Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign
As kids head back to school, educators are focused on how to best ensure students succeed in the classroom and in life. New findings from a national survey released by Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign show that breakfast is key to academic success and that rethinking how we serve school breakfast is crucial to enhancing the educational experience for all.
Hunger In Our Schools: Teachers’ Report 2013 surveyed more than 1,200 K-8 teachers and principals nationwide. It finds that three out of four K-8 public school teachers and principals see kids who regularly come to school hungry because they aren’t getting enough to eat at home. Extensive academic research shows that hungry students can’t learn, which is why the school breakfast program is so important. However, of the more than 21 million low-income kids in the U.S. who rely on a free or reduced-price school lunch, only half – about 11 million – currently get a school breakfast even though they qualify.
We can close this gap by creatively rethinking school breakfast. Traditionally schools serve breakfast in the cafeteria before class begins. We’ve learned that moving breakfast ‘after the bell’ can make it easier for students to get a healthy morning meal.
Only one out of every four educators report students eat breakfast after the bell. However, teachers and principals with students that eat breakfast in the classroom are reporting it is apositive experience. Reasons listed include seeing that students are ready to learn (75%) and are not singled out (56%).
One simple change creates many benefits that go beyond alleviating hunger. Teachers and principals who have breakfast in the classroom say they’ve seen improvement in alertness
As kids head back to school, educators are focused on how to best ensure students succeed in the classroom and in life. New findings from a national survey released by Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign show that breakfast is key to academic success and that rethinking how we serve school breakfast is crucial to enhancing the educational experience for all. Hunger In Our Schools: Teachers’ Report 2013 surveyed more than 1,200 K-8 teachers and principals nationwide. It finds that three out of four K-8 public school teachers and principals see kids who regularly come to school hungry because they aren’t getting enough to eat at home. Extensive academic research shows that hungry students can’t learn, which is why the school breakfast program is so important. However, of the more than 21 million low-income kids in the U.S. who rely on a free or reduced-price school lunch, only half – about 11 million – currently get a school breakfast even though they qualify.
We can close this gap by creatively rethinking school breakfast. Traditionally schools serve breakfast in the cafeteria before class begins. We’ve learned that moving breakfast ‘after the bell’ can make it easier for students to get a healthy morning meal.
Only one out of every four educators report students eat breakfast after the bell. However, teachers and principals with students that eat breakfast in the classroom are reporting it is apositive experience. Reasons listed include seeing that students are ready to learn (75%) and are not singled out (56%).
One simple change creates many benefits that go beyond alleviating hunger. Teachers and principals who have breakfast in the classroom say they’ve seen improvement in alertness