Welcome to QL Club Let’s bring it in ?Whoa! This month we'll look at Teenagers and Sleep: Does the time of day impact comprehension?. Does the time of day impact comprehension? Do schools serve morning people best? Should schools synchronize their clocks? Many of us know we prefer morning, afternoon or evening in terms of our best performance but what about schools that are on rigid time schedules and bell systems? What are the best start and end times of the school day? Many school districts face heated debates over school start time. As I searched for information on this topic, I found some interesting research to share, specifically regarding teenagers and sleep. A growing number of studies are finding that more meaningful learning often occurs in the mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Callan (1998) reported that most teens are unable to fall asleep at an early hour, and that 20 percent of high school students fall asleep in class. The times of peak efficiency and comprehension for most students are mid-morning and mid-afternoon. The important role of sleep and the body's circadian rhythm are very relevant in this debate and are at the heart of memory formation and learning. The onset of hormonal changes during puberty causes a teen's biological sleep clock to generate a natural bedtime closer to midnight and a waking time closer to 8 am (Strauch, 2003). In essence, some researchers suggest, early school starting times may interfere with these important memory-forming processes, which can affect reading comprehension and other cognitive tasks. REM sleep is crucial to enhancing the brain's processing of long-term memory and intense emotions. Dotto (1996) suggest that during REM sleep, the brain reviews the prior day's learning. This "instant replay" consolidates and enhances memory. Waking up too early, however, affects REM sleep, says Stickgold (2000) ?80 percent of REM occurs in the last few hours of sleep. How does what we know about REM sleep relate to Quantum Learning? Here's one idea ?think about our discussion in QLT about Theta Scan. Brain researchers have found that when we process our thoughts and learnings during the night our brains focus on the thoughts we had closest to falling asleep. Their experience with students tells us that if students study, then watch TV, play video games, etc., these later activities interfere with the brain's ability to lock in what they studied. If, instead, students do a quick scan of their schoolwork before falling asleep, it can make a big difference in what they remember and in their understanding of what they studied. Teachers have even found that test scores go up when students scan their studies just before they go to sleep. We call this the Theta Scan because the processing occurs during theta brainwave activity time, or what is called REM sleep. Talk to your students about this. Many schools are now considering brain-friendly starting times such as those adopted by the Edina School District in Minneapolis, MN. The district starts middle and high-school classes later than usual in the hope that improved sleep patterns may result in better academic performance. When learning sessions are matched with students' time-of-day preferences, reading and other cognitive performances improve (Ammons, 1995; Natale & Lorenzetti, 1997). Think about how all this relates to you and your classroom. What might you do differently? Finally, I want to reference a wonderful book - a must-read for anyone who works with teenagers, knows a teenager, or was once a teenager ... get the picture? The book is The Primal Teen by Barbara Strauch who is the medical science and health editor of the New York Times. Check out chapter 11 called: Wake Up! It's Noon. How Biology Shuts Off the Alarm. I know I've mentioned it before, but I can't say enough about how valuable this is for any of us who teach and work with teens. WE'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU ... We welcome any contributions to QL Club including topics of interest, questions you have, stories of QL in your classroom, and what's working for you. Send your comments to: jgomez@QLN.com. The purpose of the QL Club is to continue to look for what works as we deepen our understanding, practice ideas, and develop mastery of skills in QL and as professional educators. You can read past issues of QL Club at ww.QLN.com - QL Education - QL Implementation Plan - QL Club. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of your students and staff! Jenny Severson, Ed.D. Lead Facilitator, Quantum Learning Education Please do not reply to this email. Send any inquiries, questions or comments to info@quantumlearning.com