Sorry Kids, No Recess This
Year!
Love,
Miss. Bernhardt
Here we go…
“…
A number of dissident child psychologists warn
that most pediatricians and family physicians are not
qualified to distinguish between an abnormal child and
a child who is exhibiting quite normal behavior in not
wanting to sit through a seven-hour school day
cramming for standardized tests--- without recess,
art, music, gym…
Here we go…
why
not increase the number of children
taking Ritalin to 7.5 million so we could
increase classroom size to 45 and save a lot
of money.”
-Ohanian,
2002
My inspiration
“Johnny,
this is your last warning,” the
teacher says annoyingly to Johnny for the
3rd time in the past 30 minutes…
“Congratulations, you just lost 5 minutes of
your recess, Johnny,” the teacher says as
she scribbles Johnny’s name on the board.
“And don’t make me add more time to it!”
Kim
Juan
Johnny
High Expectations vs. Too High
of Expectations
Expect
better behavior from kids
than we do from adults.
Children are NOT little adults, they
are CHILDREN!
Goal of My Final Project
Is
there in fact, solid scientific
evidence that supports that kids need
recess?
Outline of My Final Project
What’s
What
So,
all the hype?
about the kids?
what you gonna do about it?
What’s all the hype?
Think:
How
many recess periods did you have in
elementary school?
How long were they?
What’s all the hype?
1989-
90% of schools had at least
one recess per day (Jarrett, 2002)
Today, 40% of schools are reducing,
deleting or considering deleting
recess (NAECS, 2001)
Why is recess being reduced
and deleted?
Accountability
Time would be better
spent on other
“academic” subjects
“Recess disrupts work patterns”
Safety and liability concerns
Standardized testing
Children’s behaviors on the play ground.
What about the kids?
Physical
development
Emotional
Cognitive
and social development
development
Classroom
management
Physical Development
ObesityIncrease
inactivity
circulation and
blood flow to the
brain
Reduce stress
Improved mood
Increases
attentiveness
Decrease
restlessness
Gross and fine
motor skills
Emotional and Social
development
 Outlet
for reducing
anxiety
 Manage stressendorphins
 Gain self-confidence
 Peer interactionslatchkey kids
 Cooperation
 Sharing
 Language/
communication
development
 Rule following
 Conflict resolution
Cognitive development
Improved
concentration
Improved rate of
academic learning
Improved recall w/
frequent breaks
Better
attentiveness
Boosts brain cells
in the hippocampus
Learning on the
playground
Learning on the playground
Authentic
Natural
experiences
elements: wind, dirt, water, seasons
Physics: see-saw, merry-go-round, swings
Math and numbers: counting, keeping score
Language development: explaining, describing,
articulating, making use of oral language and
vocabulary
Classroom management
Taking
away recess is counter
productive- fidgety and kids with
ADD and ADHD
Classroom management
. “In allowing a mental change and
release of energy, recess may facilitate
subsequent attention to more academic
tasks and minimize disruptive behavior
once students return to the classroom;
recess, therefore, becomes an important
element of classroom management and
behavior guidance” (NAECS, 2001).
o
So, what are you going to do
about it?
Sources
Jarrett,
O. (2002). Recess in Elementary School: What does the
Research Say? Illinois: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary
and Early Childhood Education. (ERIC Document
Reproduction Service No. ED 466331)
National Association
of Early Childhood Specialists (NAECS)
in State Departments of Education. (2001). Recess and the
Importance of Play. A Position Statement on Young Children
and Recess. U.S. Department of Education, 2-15.
Ohanian,
S. (2002). What Happened to Recess and Why are
our Children Struggling in Kindergarten? New York:
McGraw-Hill.