Learning to read or do addition is an almost insurmountable challenge for a child who has not had enough to eat, say experts.
“It is common sense that a child who has eaten well in the morning will have an impact on his day,” reacts Égide Royer, psychologist and professor at Laval University, specializing in academic success.
“Anyone who is hungry will have difficulty concentrating on tasks,” says Marie-Ève Dubois, neuropsychologist.
Is he hungry?
Reading difficulties, shortage of specialists, dropping out of school: academic success in Quebec is the subject of all kinds of analyzes on a daily basis to find possible solutions.
However, the reality of students who do not have enough to eat is rarely mentioned in a perspective of academic success. However, the list of problematic behaviors related to hunger is very long, note the professionals.
“The concentration is not there, the tolerance, the living together, they have no patience, notes a fourth grade teacher from Rivière-du-Loup. This is the bane of managing emotions. You don’t put up with anyone. It causes conflict in the schoolyard. »
“When you wonder where the next meal is going to come from, you have a physical discomfort associated with that. It is not possible to be available to learn,” also notes Julie St-Jean, principal of Édouard-Laurin elementary school in Montreal.
According to Ms. Dubois, the impact of hunger on learning is felt above all in reading and arithmetic.
More glucose
“Children’s brains use more glucose than adults’. A child who has no food in his stomach affects his ability to learn. »
She also stresses that the morning snack is very important for children. Obviously, a student who does not succeed in school is more at risk of dropping out of school.
“At some point, he finally got discouraged. In an unfavorable context, it has an impact on motivation indirectly,” says Ms. Dubois.