If you have a child in school right now, you may have heard them talk about needing a “brain break” while doing homework or studying for a test. Maybe they shake their bodies out, do some deep breathing exercises, or watch their favorite YouTube video of hamsters in a maze or a hydraulic press crushing various items.

To assist with these brain breaks, the School District of Philadelphia recently announced that an app called Rallee will be available to teachers and students in the district. The district’s version of Rallee will include a section of the app with branded activities related to the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team.

I’m a clinical professor of literacy studies at Drexel University in Philadelphia, and I previously worked as an elementary school teacher for 18 years. I know some families will wonder: Will this digital tool actually improve my child’s learning? And do students really need a brain break that involves more screen time?

Rallee encourages users to “turn your body into the controller for timed obstacle courses” and “stretch and breathe alongside the avatar.” While using Rallee, students might jump in place to help their avatar clear an obstacle or imitate their avatar by stretching their arms wide while taking a deep breath. These movement breaks are designed to take 1 to 5 minutes. The website says the activities help students improve learning comprehension, reduce stress and manage overwhelming emotions.

What are brain breaks?

Brain breaks are brief interruptions in instructional time during which students do cognitive or physical activities that are different from what they are doing in class. These breaks are grounded in some general........

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