Around this time of year it comes up that chewing gum during tests helps people concentrate. I have never seen the actual research, so I am more than a bit skeptical. I guess it makes sense, but this is my problem with the theory: children (and most people) are very noisy when chewing gum. How does this affect people who need quiet while testing?
I can’t imagine taking an important test like the PSSA or SAT while listening to 20, 30, or even more kids all chewing gum. I would have to poke my eardrums out with my #2 pencil. I love gum, but can’t stand to listen to other people chomping and cracking away at it. It’s disgusting, and one of my biggest pet peeves.
So what to do about letting kids chew gum during the PSSA? The principal at one of the other district schools made all the kids chew gum last year. I said she’d have to write me up, because I would refuse. (In retrospect, I don’t think it helped much, because they didn’t make AYP.) The fourth grade teachers let them chew it last year, and they’ve been bugging me for weeks. I said no, but I did buy mint LifeSavers; peppermint is supposed to help people concentrate, too. But now my dilemma is, Do I really let them eat candy on such an important test when we haven’t done it all year? How do I know the novelty of it won’t be a distraction and undo any possible benefit of the mint?
But until someone can produce the research that says listening to 25 kids chewing gum doesn’t distract the kids who need quiet, I will not allow gum in my classroom.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1870763.stm
“Chewing gum may help to make people smarter by improving memory and brain performance, research suggests.
In tests, scientists found the ability to recall remembered words improved by 35% among people who chewed gum.
However, contrary to popular belief, they say it does not aid concentration. ”
6 of one, 1/2 dozen of the other
Interesting! Thank you!!!
Where did you find this? Because that’s why they want us to use it – for concentration.
Guess I should look up if mint really helps that either! Though the LifeSavers went very well. They had to unwrap all of them (3 for math, 4 for reading) before we started and throw the wrappers in the trash when I called each row for drinks, bathroom, or tissues. And they were *much* quieter.
Hi, I just thought you would like to know that I was watching FOX news today, and they just released a study proving that chewing gum does help kids during math tests. It has to do with more blood flow to the brain or something….it also is helps with short/long term memory loss. Anyway, I just thought you would like to know since you’re kind of against it. =)
Thanks for the info! I’m sure it does work, but until they do a study that shows it doesn’t distract kids who need quiet, I won’t allow it.
It’s certainly possible to chew gum without vigorously smacking your lips. Why not just demand your students chew quietly? Students should be separated to prevent cheating and the distance could help prevent chewing from affecting other students.
They are separated, but the size of the classroom and the number of students puts maybe 2 feet between each kid (front to back and side to side). If it’s a quiet test-taking environment, I can hear gum being chewed from across the room, 20 feet away. It’s not just loud lip-smacking chewing, it’s (more) the gum cracking that can happen even when the mouth is closed.
They really liked the Life Savers anyway, so I’m going to try it on all the tests next year.
God bless you teacher, you are exactly right. The idea of trying to think while people smack away! Not to mention the smell… I would insist on earplugs, or use the gum as earplugs.
Having taken the PSAT’s recently, I feel that the gum actually helped me for the following reason.
I noticed that during the PSAT, I was able to concentrate for much longer. Not once during the test did my mind drift away.
At first I was wondering why this happened, but then I realized that I was chewing gum, something I don’t often do. So it got me to thinking about the sugar content. If the gum contains a reasonable amount of sugar it could potentially stimulate your brain throughout a period of time, but then again these are just the thoughts of a High School student. =/
Note: Not all kids chew gum loudly. It is an annoying habit to chew loudly, but it can also be silent. As long as the student keeps the sound down, I think gum should help out.