Gum in School Helps Students Focus

According to a report in the Fredrick News Post (MD), schools are handing out chewing gum to help the kids concentrate during tests.

Citing research that shows chewing increases the ability to concentrate and has a positive effect on thinking, memory and other cognitive tasks, many schools are offering hard candy and chewing gum to students this week.

"There is this research that shows chewing helps us stay more attentive, and to stay on task," Anderson said Monday. "But there is that affective piece too -- it's the novelty, it's different and it probably just helps relieve some of the stress from taking the tests."

Funny, that's not how I remember teachers dealing with students who chewed gum.

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