Could Longer School Days Mean Better Grades?

Although most students may not agree, recent studies suggest that longer days in school may be exactly what children need to get the most of their education. Additional time spent in class could offer kids a chance to study, interact more with their teachers and peers, and participate in some un-traditional activites making school more fun. Worthington Direct features classroom furniture, activity tables, storage cabinets and more designed to be more comfortable, durable and functional. With our children spending more time in school, the learning environment and its comfort takes on new importance. Ferris Bueller's worst nightmare might be the answer to bad grades and dismal test scores. CNN highlights a new trend - extending the length of the school day. The article reports that on average, students in the U.S. spend less time in the classroom than their counterparts in many other industrialized countries. Programs in Massachusetts and other states increase the number of hours per day that students spend in class, as well as the number of days - some programs have kids in school on Saturdays, and may have their summer vacations shortened. In some cases, students end up spending 50% more time in school than they would in traditional programs. The argument that giving students more time to study will yield positive results is compelling, but let's face it - not a lot of kids are going to be excited about tacking on another two hours' worth of lectures about the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act. And extending the hours spent in the classroom could cut into after-school sports programs as well as daylight hours that kids could be spending outside at play - an important consideration, considering all of the talk about childhood obesity these days. (Read More)