Recess Access

Remember elementary school recess? Our favorite subject in school? The time of the day when you could go outside, run, jump, yell, laugh and generally let off steam? Well, it seems that recess is now a dinosaur. Many school systems are doing away with recess in order to cram in more academic lessons. And that's a shame.

Research shows that recess is very important for children during the school day. In the article The Fourth R: Recess and Its Link to Learning, Sandra Waite-Stupiansky and Marcia Findlay make their case for the necessity of recess during the school day. They emphasize that children with access to recess have better social skills, increased physical coordination, improved attention, and decreased behavior problems in the classroom. Think how a classroom with several ADHD kids would benefit!

And yet, even in schools where recess is still used, it is common practice for teachers to punish poor behavior with restriction of recess. While I understand the need to discipline using withdrawal of privileges, these teachers are shooting themselves in the foot, as well as denying the children who need recess the most - those who have trouble sitting still, paying attention, and can't stop talking - the very activity that will help to improve their behavior. Recess is particularly important for active boys, who need some physical activity and free time during the day to maintain the ability to stay on task in the classroom (more on the problems many boys face in our current education system in a later blog).

Although recess is typically indicated for elementary school students, kids of all ages could benefit from some unstructured free time during the day. In 1997, the Centers for Disease Control published a study showing a correlation between regular physical activity with higher levels of self-esteem and lower levels of anxiety in adolescents. Due to the emphasis on academic achievement and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in our schools, many teens find themselves shlepping from class to class with only 5 minutes in between to use the restroom and get to their lockers for 7 hours per day. Then they may have several hours of homework each evening. Given that social interaction is extremely important at this stage of development, a short period of social recess might be helpful to give their brains a break during the day and help them refresh. Just for fun, I recently started a Facebook group, Recess for High Schoolers. I was surprised at how many people signed up for the group within a 24 hour period, simply by word of mouth (and chat).

Don't we all deserve a break during our day? I know that when I am working hard, particularly after sitting for some time, I need to get up and stretch and talk to a colleague or call a friend. Let's encourage school systems to include recess as a part of the school curriculum. Talk to your child's teachers or principal about use of recess in their school, and whether they withdraw recess privilege as a punishment. Let your schools know that you value social and physical development of your child as well as academic achievement.