A Genius Idea To Help Kids Become Healthier And Smarter.

Nov 14, 2018 by apost team

This simple yet amazing concept is working towards making children not only smarter but also healthier! The idea is called “Read and Ride,” and is making children’s future brighter by the minute! Once you hear about the program, you’ll wonder why every school doesn’t implement it.

A man named Scott Ertl was enjoying himself while reading a book during his ride on a stationary bike at the gym when suddenly it hit him. He realized that with his busy schedule, the only real time he had to read books was during the time he spent on these bikes.

With his day job, a school counselor at the elementary school located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, he didn’t have much free time. He wondered if the children at his school would like to read while they exercised.

Why not give it a try? Once he discussed the idea with the school’s principal, they decided to begin planning how to implement this idea across classrooms.

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Although the program began with just one bike in the corner of one of their classrooms, students and teachers loved the idea so much that Ertl decided they needed to take the concept a step further. He sought out stationary exercise bikes from places like Craigslist and garage sales.

Then, they turned a spare classroom into an exercise room for the bikes. Teachers from the school were then allowed to sign up for 15-20 minute periods in this bike room. Students then would enter the room with a book or educational magazine of their choice, and ”Read and Ride” was born!

The children all loved the choice they obtained of being active during their reading sessions. The school became curious about the benefits that the program would bring to the students. Therefore they conducted a study with data about how reading scores and overall proficiency were rising.

As it turns out, the more time students spent participating in this program, the higher their test scores got in reading categories!

Now, there are Read and Ride programs implemented in many schools scattered around different states of America. Teachers and faculty are rallying behind the idea, calling it an amazing concept. The students are no longer only using exercise bikes but are also using exercise balls and ellipticals to switch things up and keep it interesting.

Not only does the program help children get the incentive to read, but it also helps keep students active and help with their athletic ability. All students are able to exercise at their own pace and intensity level, which means that no one is being left behind or picked on! It’s a win-win situation!

Many Read and Ride schools get the majority of their equipment from programs that take donations. If you have any leftover or old exercise equipment that you know you’ll never use again, you should strongly consider donating it to one of these programs or try to get a Read and Ride initiative implemented at your local elementary school.

The program is so influential that even schools abroad are taking it on as their own. Sembach, Germany has started a pilot initiative at the Europe Region Medical Command based on the Read and Ride program!

They’ve already noticed a large change in attitude and a newfound love for reading based on the initial results! You can learn more about the program in the video below.

What do you think about this Read and Ride program? Do you wish your school had this program? Tell us in the comments below and send it to all your friends and family members who have children in school.