Essay - Time of Learning Over the Past Two Decades, a Number...

Time of Learning

Over the past two decades, a number ***** researchers have conducted studies to determine the best time for student learning, especially for different curricula. At this point, *****re is no conclusive evidence that a "perfect" ***** exists. Rather, it appears ***** *****s do better w*****h the main academic studies—math, English, social studies and science—at their preferred time of learning. In addition, studies show that students maximize learning *****en the topic is covered in their style of *****. When students are taught with approaches and resources that complement their unique learning *****s, achievement ***** significantly increased. There is another important factor that must be included when determining ***** of learning: the amount of sleep the students get each night. Studies show that children and youths of all ages are not meeting their required ***** requirement. Many younger children fall asleep in the bus or in ***** homeroom. Older youths walk around in a fog, ***** grab a coke or other caffeine soda to help them wake up. Overall, it is recognized that 1) more studies need to be completed to obtain a better idea of the best time for acquiring ***** maximum amount of underst*****ing and 2) alternate ways for ***** such as online education ***** evening instruction must be explored ***** meet the preferred ********** of learning.

There have not been many studies that have conclusively shown that elementary students better understand an academic ***** as science concepts in the morning or ********** one such as Engl*****h in the afternoon. Barron, Henderson, and Spurgeon (1994) ***** a study on element*****ry school students ***** reading. The ***** chose 128 underachieving students in first through fourth grade in a Chapter I Reading Program and assigned *****se pupils ran*****mly to c*****trol and experimental groups. Teachers led reading instruction with each control group in the morning ***** with ***** experimental group in the afternoon. All groups took pre- and post-tests. The authors found an overall increase in the mean reading scores for below-grade-level students receiving instruction in the afternoon compared to those of the similar group with morn*****g instruction. Davis (1987) ***** similar results for 100 low- ***** high-ability first-grade beginning readers. Greater gains were achieved ***** ***** *****.

Another study (Klein, 2001) looked at the hours ***** optimal *****tention in older ***** who appeared to vary in their mathematical ability. A sample of 204 fifth graders and 202 tenth ***** ***** divided into three groups (high, average and low *****) on the basis of *****ir mean yearly mathematics achievement *****. They were asked to report on their attention levels throughout the day. Findings showed that fifth graders' attention levels ***** ***** ***** in the afternoon, ***** tenth graders reported increased concentration during ***** morning. Tenth, but not ***** *****, showed significant interaction between ***** achievement and attention levels at various times ***** *****.

***** conducted by Papatheodorou & Ramasut (1993) and Wheeler (1995) may indicate that among very young children, ***** appears to be the *****st time of day to