Letter | Early morning starts hamper students’ ability to learn

I taught in a K-12 setting for 20 years. I witnessed students of all ages arriving at school in the early morning hours (much too early) immediately putting their heads on cafeteria tables napping for a few minutes before classes started.

Once classes started, despite the vibrancy and enthusiasm of the best teachers, many students could not keep their eyes open. Many had been at after-school sports events and other activities until late and faced lengthy homework assignments upon arriving at home.

Then they were on a bus at 6:45 a.m. to repeat the scenario. This issue has been problematic for years. Tired, exhausted brains cannot concentrate well and are, at best, dull and ineffective.

School boards and administrators need to pay attention to the abundant research and start school later. Students would be healthier, happier and smarter, and test scores would be higher.

The writer lives in Myrtle Beach.

This story was originally published July 16, 2015 at 5:34 PM with the headline "Letter | Early morning starts hamper students’ ability to learn."