Gen Sinker gave her students directions at the start of library class.
Select a book. Stretch. Start pedaling.
Students at Tunkhannock Intermediate Center exercised both their minds and bodies inside the school’s library this week. Some of the Wyoming County students reached a mile before the end of their first chapters on a new seating option in the library — exercise bikes.
“The more engagement that you have within the school, the better it is,” said Kate Krispin, school counselor. “When we talk about initiatives in schools or different programs, we don't have to have a lot of money to have a great impact.”
Krispin got the idea to place exercise bikes in the library after seeing a school in another state with a similar program. Using a grant from LCBC Church, the district spent about $3,000 on the six bikes.
Riding while reading can be used as a behavior reward, help student athletes with their training and be another way to get kids excited to be in school, she said. Research shows that physical activity can boost cognitive function, attention and memory.
Sinker, a paraprofessional who has worked in the library for the last decade, eagerly made room for the bicycles.
“Kids maybe that didn't want to come to library before, they come,” she said. “I do try to make everything fun and different for them, so that they want to come in.”
Seventh graders this week tried the bicycles for the first time. Jacob Faux and Quentin Sessoms, both 12, raced each other while reading books from the “Captain Underpants” and “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series.
“Just sitting over there reading is kind of boring in a way. This is kind of a way to make it interesting while reading, because I could multitask,” Quentin said.
By the end of library class, he had pedaled more than 3 miles. It was the first time any of the students had sweat in the library.
“I need some deodorant,” one of the students said.
