Why It Matters

Physical, social and academic growth work together and depend on one another to develop a healthy child who is an active learner. No one kind of growth is more important than another.

For example, a lack of adequate sleep negatively affects a child's ability to pay attention and learn. In this example, physical health influences cognitive (academic) learning.

Therefore, any initiative aiming to fully support healthy child development must include activities to foster all three kinds of growth and learning.