How Does Nutrition Affect Learning in Middle Childhood?

Nutrition has a big impact on learning for children who are in middle childhood. "During middle childhood, energy intake (i.e., calories) must be sufficiently high to meet both growth and physical activity demands," according to Mary Jo Zembar and Libby Blume in their book, "Middle Childhood Development." Children who have deficiencies in their diet can have difficulty learning in the classroom.

  1. Nutrition Leads to Focus

    • Children who are getting healthy, nutritious meals can focus more successfully and miss less class due to illness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states, "eating a healthy breakfast is associated with improved cognitive function (especially memory), reduced absenteeism, and improved mood."

    Poor Nutrition Adversly Affects Academics

    • Hunger in school-age children can cause lethargy, poor concentration, greater susceptibility to illness, moodiness, and poor psychomotor skills, says Zembar. Students who are hungry from a poor diet or lack of food altogether have a hard time taking in the lesson.

    Nutritional Needs of Middle Childhood

    • Protein is very important for children in middle childhood because they are still growing, and therefore it's needed more during these years than the adult years; 12 to 15 percent of the child's daily calories should come from protein, according to Zembar, while 30 percent should come from fats, and between 55 and 60 percent from carbohydrates. Children in middle childhood need vitamins and minerals to support their bodies; these are most beneficial when they come in the form of well-balanced meals, rather than from supplements, according to Zembar.

    Growth on the Path to Adolescence

    • As children move toward adolescence, they grow at a fast rate and sometime need an increase in calories, according to HealthyChildren.org. These calories, in order to be helpful for growth, need to be nutrient-rich. A parent knows that the child is getting enough calories if they are consistently gaining weight during this growth period, while eating a variety of foods, according to HealthyChildren.org. Variety in the diet is key for the child to get enough nutrition for their growing body.

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