Since they begin to take their first steps, parents have been trying to get the children to wear shoes, among other reasons because we believe that they might catch a cold, even if not. However, children who go barefoot, in addition to feeling free and happier, develop their intelligence better.
New research from the University of Bournemouth, conducted over a decade with tens of thousands of children in more than 100 schools and in 25 countries, reveals that benefits of going barefoot They also have an impact on the academic environment. Children who go to class without shoes learn more and better.
They observed that schoolchildren who attend their classes without shoes are more likely to get better grades and behave better than those who wear them. They also found that 'Shoeless' children (without shoes) are more engaged in their lessons, which in turn leads to better academic performance, and are more likely to arrive at school earlier and leave later.
In northern European countries it is common for children to leave their shoes outside and go barefoot to class due to snow, ice or sleet. This model was moved to schools in New Zealand, Australia and London, where improvements in their school performance were also observed.
When asked, they found that 95 percent of children do not read at home sitting in an upright chair, but tend to look for more comfortable positions. Being without shoes makes them feel at home and more relaxed while they learn.
Stephen Heppell, principal investigator of the study said:
"Children are much more willing to sit on the floor and relax if they don't have shoes."
Classrooms without shoes
It is true that classrooms in Scandinavian countries are very different from those we see in Spain and in most countries. There, priority is given to open spaces, with soft floors and areas with shared tables or cushions where you can sit and read.
And what does this affect? On the one hand, in which one could save on desks, since children can sit on the floor. And on the other, when observing that children who go barefoot to class arrive earlier and leave later, this translates into an additional half hour, on average, to continue learning.
"The key to achievement is commitment and if children want to be there and enjoy being there, they universally do better. When they arrive late and leave early, they undock and their performance suffers. Children with shoes are less engaged. than those who don't use them in class. "
On his website, Professor Heppel, lead author of the study, talks about the benefits of learning barefoot and gives guidelines on how to implement the "shoeless" policy (without shoes) in schools. I love the idea, what do you think?
