Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Students Need Recess

A fellow classmate of mine passed along an article to me that I thought deserved some attention.

Despite Benefits, Recess for Many Students Is Restricted

State Senator of New Jersey, Shirley K. Turner, has proposed a bill that would require schools to implement 20 minutes of recess. This may not seem like a lot of time, but it is when your school doesn't make anytime.
The article points out obstacles that many schools face with recess - not enough staffing, no time in the academic schedule, the potential for behavior issues between students, etc. What is great about these obstacles is with a little creative thinking by the school administration and teamwork amongst educators, these problems can be eliminated. There shouldn't be any excuses! Students need recess. 

Check out these two articles regarding this topic:

Pediatricians say kids need recess during school

The Rebirth of Recess



7 comments:

  1. I really didn't know how out of touch I was until this article. I thought kids still had recess. I am pretty sure that my niece and nephew in 2nd and 4th grade get recess at their school. They consistently talk about their time on the playground, so I just assumed it was like when I was a kid and the recess was worked into the day.

    I think it's really sad that we have to lobby for time for kids to run around, get some exercise, and work off their stir-crazy energy.

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    1. Hi Darla,
      I think most students do have recess, but it usually isn't a whole lot! (Well, except at the end of the school year.) Our classes sometimes get 10-15 minutes outside, and that is primarily due to the student/teacher schedule. I know this something that they want to try and fix for this next school year. - Casey

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  2. I can't think of a more important time of day than recess (except maybe P.E.), for a child! The physical, social and intellectual benefits are remarkable and I am always a bit stunned when I here that there are schools that do not have recess anymore. I really appreciated your post and I couldn't agree with you more!

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    1. I agree, Angela. Even now as an adult, if I had to sit still all day, I would go crazy and would not be able to concentrate on anything. Good thing I became a PE teacher!

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  3. Recess is huge! Kids need a break from academics and focusing. They also need to learn how to interact with their peers, get fresh air, and move their little bodies. Kids already do not get enough physical activity and now schools take it away. It's sad and needs to be looked at again and again.
    Thanks for sharing.
    Jaime Piatt

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    1. Recess is definitely a time where kids get to practice their social skills. For some of our students lunch/recess is their only time during the day they really get to socialize.

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  4. I totally agree that students need some time to be active, decompress and process what they've learned. I'm guessing just from the anecdotes I've heard here that most school do provide some sort of recess, but I'd be that it's the schools that don't provide it that need it the most. It's such a shame to hear about schools compromising on time for PE, recess and lunch. When you think about the messages we send to kids with these policies, it really underscores how important these things are.

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