Research shows that when children have recess, they gain the following benefits: Are less fidgety and more on task. Have improved memory and more focused attention. Develop more brain connections.
Why students should get longer recess?
Recess gives students and teachers time to interact and communicate out of the classroom . ... More extended recess generally allows time for kids to build this bond. Bonding is an important element of child development. They need to bond with people other than their friends, teachers and parents.
Does longer recess improve grades?
Improved Test Scores and Behavior from Adding Recess
A 2009 study of 11,000 third graders published in Pediatrics, shows that adding more play to the day, not less, improves the likelihood of better test scores and behavior.
Why extra recess is bad?
Research shows that taking away recess doesn’t improve behavior in the classroom . In fact, an excessive amount of boredom and energy will make misbehaving kids even worse. A study on fourth graders found that students were more focused and less fidgety if they’d had recess.
Why Should recess be longer?
It is essential that recess is longer. ... If students have longer recess they will burn off energy and can focus more in class . Also, students need time to clear their minds and absorb what they learned. Recess gives students something to look forward to so they will work harder in class.
Is recess a waste of time?
Recess time can be used to spend more instructional time with students. Schools are beginning to see recess as a waste of time and some have totally eliminated recess (Johnson, 1998). ... Less recess time allows for less bullying time.
Is recess good for your brain?
Recess allows a child to mentally decompress and absorb what they’ve recently learned . It also helps children improve communication and negotiation skills. It teaches them the importance of cooperation, sharing and problem solving.
Why shouldn’t older students have recess?
Research shows that taking away recess doesn’t improve behavior in the classroom . In fact, an excessive amount of boredom and energy will make misbehaving kids even worse. A study on fourth graders found that students were more focused and less fidgety if they’d had recess.
How does more recess help students?
It creates a space wherein elementary students can rest, imagine, think, play, move, and socialize. After recess, students tend to be more attentive and better able to perform cognitively . In addition, recess helps young children to develop social skills that cannot be acquired in a structured learning environment.
Does recess relieve stress?
Recess reduces stress
The physical activity kids take part in during recess can also reduce stress levels and allow children to feel more relaxed. In an education system that continues to place higher expectations on children to perform to a certain standard, less stress is just what the doctor ordered.
Does recess improve behavior?
A large study of shows that school children who receive more recess behave better and are likely to learn more . ... The study, published in Pediatrics, suggests that a daily break of 15 minutes or more in the school day may play a role in improving learning, social development, and health in elementary school children.
Is recess good for middle schoolers?
The Many Benefits of Recess
To begin with, recess offers middle school students an opportunity to interact with large and diverse peer groups . While the unstructured nature of recess may lead to social conflict, it also provides students with the earliest opportunities to practice their conflict resolution skills.
How does recess make kids happier?
Free play and games are crucial to child development because they encourage physical, social, emotional, and cognitive growth beyond formal education. Recess is also enriching for a teacher’s day as well; it gives them much needed opportunities to decompress, organize, and socialize.
Should students lose recess for bad behavior?
Recess has the added benefit of leading to a more effective learning environment in the classroom. Research has shown that taking away recess does not make classroom behavior any better , and, in fact, it might make things worse in the case of students who are misbehaving because of an excess of energy or boredom.
Why do middle schoolers not have recess?
Districts under pressure to show academic progress began to squeeze as much instruction into the day as possible. Others eliminated recess because of concerns about safety, lack of supervision , and subpar playground equipment. But all work and no play for kids has not set well with many parents — and teachers.
Should recess be taken away as punishment?
Children need recess! Experts oppose withholding physical activity as a form of punishment or behavior management. The use of withdrawal from physical activity as a disciplinary consequence is inappropriate. ... Recess should not be withheld for punitive or academic reasons .
