Don't Cut School Recess, Pediatricians Say
It helps kids' overall development and gives them a chance to decompress.
Since the advent of the federal government's No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, some schools have been cutting or eliminating recess to spend more time teaching academics.
Now the American Academy of Pediatrics is urging schools not to cut recess, which the organization says is a much-needed break and helps children develop a healthy lifestyle.
Recognizing the need for schools -- on ever-more-stretched budgets and time constraints -- to foster academic achievement amid new calls to support physical activity/obesity prevention, our study suggests that recess promotes a healthy learning environment and can help schools in meeting both demands.
Importantly, recess should be used as a complement to physical education classes, not a substitute.
Recess is a fundamental component of development and social interaction children ought to receive in school. It "offers a unique opportunity for children to experience a break from the academic demands of school as well as a forum for creative expression, social engagement and physical exertion.
Recess is a crucial part of a child's development. That's mental as well as social development.
In order to learn well, children need a period of concentrated academic activity followed by a break that allows them to process information, Murray said. That's also true for adults.
Studies have shown that children do a better job of processing information if they don't move from one challenging task to the next, but rather, have a break in between.
In most schools, recess lasts 15 to 20 minutes either before or after lunch. There are no data on the optimal length of recess. All we can say is there needs to be enough time for the child to decompress.
According to the group's statement, recess offers children mental, physical, emotional and social benefits.
The statement goes on to say that regular physical education is also important and recess is not a substitute for it. The authors see the free, unstructured playtime that recess offers as essential to children's overall health.
Moreover, they say withholding recess should not be a form of punishment. Recess is an important part of child development and provides social interaction that children may not get during class time.
It is important that kids have recess. Recess allows kids to get involved with other children that are not in their classroom and allows them to decompress.
Time spent interacting in unstructured play helps children develop important social skills. We have to find time for children to be children.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Service
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