Recess Is Good For Kids. Why Don't More States Require It?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Several years ago, a team of sociologists flew from California to an East Coast school to observe the kindergarteners’ recess for their research. The team waited on the playground, but the children never showed up. When they later asked the principal why, he told them that the lunch staff had held the students back as punishment for misbehavior.

“That just tells you something about the culture of how easy it is to dispense of this really important time for kids at a whim,” said Rebecca London, a sociologist who was on the research team and now teaches at the University of California at Santa Cruz. “There’s no evidence whatsoever that withholding recess elicits any kind of behavior that anybody wants. It’s not an evidence-based practice. There’s no research [supporting] it at all.”

What research (including London’s) has shown is that recess is extremely important to childhood development and learning. Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that kids have access to it. Specialists think the opportunity to play with peers undirected by an adult — the kind of play children get at recess — is so critical to development that children should not do without it during the school day.

Yet only at least 10 states require schools to provide daily recess. This year, Washington and California are considering bills that would, if passed, make it mandatory for schools to provide recess. London and other researchers want legislatures and educators to know that recess is an important part of the school day, not a break from it.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/recess-is-good-for-kids-why-dont-more-states-require-it/

I grow up in Washington and we had recess in grades 1 - 6.

[Ocelot II]

1. We always had recess. I hated it.

[snot]

2. We had it.

Kids sometimes got up to bad things, but overall, I think it was good. I'd expect it could be helpful to let them blow off some steam/fidgets, if nothing else – unless they've all been transformed into phone-addicted lumps.

[jimfields33]

3. So now you can't take recess away for bad behavior?

Is there nothing you can do to stop children who are disruptive, disrespectful or worse. I definitely believe punishment was too harsh up until the 90’s. But the pendulum has swung way too far to the point where there is virtually no punishment at all. What a dilemma for teachers and schools.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

8. According to the article sounds like this isn't for individuals

but entire classes/grades. There's apparently entire STATES ... with no recess for anyone.

No way that's fair. Elementary school shouldn't be like the military or a football team where everyone on 'the team' pays a penalty (laps, pushups, etc) for a few slackers.

That's BS with elementary school kids.

[Mosby]

4. K and R.

[CrispyQ]

5. We had recess in the morning & lunch, grades K-6.

Our playground equipment was on concrete & our ball diamond was dirt. Somehow we survived.

[Rebl2]

7. Sounds like

my experience back in the sixties.

[CrispyQ]

11. Yes.

We had PE, too, & the Presidential Fitness test every year. When the weather was nice PE was held outside.

Kids build up energy & have to move. Cancelling recess is more of a punishment to the teachers who now have all that pent up energy to deal with. JFC, who makes these decisions? And is it just me or does it seem there are a whole lot more administrators/office staff than there used to be. ???

[slightlv]

9. Same with me...

and even as a loner and outcast, I got a lot out of recess... even if it was just closeting myself under a tree with a book.

Edited to add: From a purely psychological viewpoint, I can't see how doing away with recess is good for anyone. Kids... especially elementary school age kids... are bodies in motion -all the time.- Recess, I always thought as a kid, was as much for us to work off some of that excess energy so we could try to sit still for another 3-4 hours. To ask a young kid to do otherwise is pure torture.

[CrispyQ]

12. I responded pretty much the same, above, before reading your post.

Those poor teachers!

Like you, I was a reader & I could sit still for hours, but my cousin would have driven everyone crazy if he hadn't been able to release all his energy every few hours. He was the kid who was the first out of the classroom, down the hall, & outside.

[Rebl2]

6. Well I'll

be. I am in a state where it’s required. There is a grade school right up the street from me and I see the kids at recess as long as the weather is okay.

[OldBaldy1701E]

10. Well, because of lawsuits.

Schools were getting sued because little Jimmy would fall and bruise his arm (like any kid does when they are small), and sleazy lawyers knew that the schools had (key word here... 'had') lots of money and were pretty much not equipped to handle a lawyer blitz on them. So, they settle. And they settle. And they finally stopped allowing it altogether because it was just not worth the hassle and loss of money. It is yet another example of the few ruling this country by forcing everyone to be like they want. It is the opposite of a free society. Which is that they want.

[IbogaProject]

13. I loved recess

It was so fun to run or play a pickup game of kickball or just talk with a group of peers. We did it every day 1-6th grade. I can't recall if we had extra outside time after we ate in Middle and High School, it wasn't recess either way.

[BigmanPigman]

14. As a K-6th grade teacher

I KNOW recess is necessary. Little kids need a break physically and mentally. Just compare classes that do not have recess and you will see a clear difference in test scores, nutrition, stamina, etc. Most kids eat a snack at recess and that keeps them going until lunch. Also, teachers know there is a revolving door with kids needing to use the bathroom and time is wasted. When it rained, you stayed inside and played games for 15 minutes. Kids do not get enough exercise so they should go out and play at recess. Older kids don't like recess's organized games so they get to supervise the younger students' games and solve arguments. They also volunteer to grade homework. My students were only allowed to eat healthy snacks and they actually liked them better! Most adults don't understand any of this but ask an experienced elementary teacher and they can fill you in. I even stopped the revolving door for the bathroom by having a "bathroom break" between the start of school and recess. It worked out well and I was able to teach without being constantly interrupted. The kids had to run three laps around the playground, use the bathroom and get a drink of water.

If you think kids don't need a break just take a look at a room filled with adults who can't talk or walk around for two hours straight. Adults CAN NOT do it so how can they expect kids who are developing to be able to do it.

[jmowreader]

15. High-stakes testing is a huge driver in the push to eliminate recess

When you know you're going to lose your funding if your kids don't do well enough on some stupid test, you're going to look for ways to cram more instructional time into the day. AND...recess looks like an easy thing to get rid of.