Do Healthy Lunches Improve Test Scores By Melinda D. Anderson Summary

Has everyone known that many elementary school students feel anxiety and stress whenever they take quizzes and exams every school year? Do students who consume large amounts of unhealthy foods receive lower standardized-test scores? In recent years, “standardized test scores have been the dominant metric for measuring what public-school students know and are able to do” (Anderson 1). According to an article in The Atlantic, “Do Healthy Lunches Improve Test Scores?,” Melinda D. Anderson discusses the main issues of elementary students’ current health and academic progress. Throughout the well-written article, Anderson successfully utilizes language to argue about the benefits of elementary students’ healthy lunches, establishes her credibility,

Power then theorizes that “without good food, students are just stressed at school, and then still stress about being expected to perform well” (5). Power’s explanation and theory convey a concerned tone that emphasizes elementary students’ lack of energy to concentrate on their studies and earn higher grades in their classes. Although nourishment is essential for elementary students, Anderson worries about “children living in areas of concentrated poverty like Oakland, [since] good food like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can be hard to come by” (5). Anderson’s claim conveys that governmental officials must find helpful ways to make Oakland a wealthier and healthier place. Finally, in order to improve elementary students’ eating habits and health, Anderson suggests that school leaders educate elementary students about the food pyramid and provide “yoga-like exercises [that would pursue] the holy grail of high standardized-test scores” (2). Anderson’s suggestions convey a persuasive tone as she tries to lead elementary students into a healthier path, and believes that proper nutrition and exercise helps students improve brain function and physical activity.

Anderson goes deeper into her argument by providing evidence and emotional appeals relating students’

government and school districts to enforce state school nutrition laws in order to support elementary students’ physical and mental health, and to effectively improve elementary students’ standardized test scores. Every school year, school leaders gather at the faculty meeting to discuss plans to change all of elementary students’ physical bodies and minds. School leaders also need to conduct more research and rely on helpful resources in order to educate elementary students about nourishment and exercise. Anderson then suggests “a push to combat childhood obesity, [and enforce] the Hunger-Free Kids Act” (2). This new, enforced law, creates an effect that Anderson persuades elementary students to get out of their comfort zone and participate in fitness-based activities, such as running on the treadmill, performing yoga poses, and doing push-ups for muscle endurance. Corcoran theorizes that “[s]tudents who eat regular, healthy meals are less likely to be tired, are more attentive in class, and retain more information” (4). Furthermore, Anderson assures that “when schools serve calorie-rich food on test day, students perform better on tests.” (4). Anderson’s claims of fact and claims of policy convey a persuasive tone as she finds ways to bolster elementary students’ physical and mental