Exercise appears to improve kids' vocabulary

If you want to help build your child's vocabulary, you might consider having them exercise. In a new study published in the Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research, researchers at the University of Delaware taught children between the ages of six and 12 some new words. The children then either went to swim or drew in a coloring book. The kids assigned to the swimming group performed 13 percent better on follow-up vocabulary tests. The researchers believe motor movement helps children encode new words, possibly because exercise increases levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. So parents, understand that exercise is not only good for your kids' physical development, but it's good for their brains too.