Get creative with lesson planning. In addition, the Shape of the Nation Report shares comprehensive research showing physical activity in adolescents: Susan Meyer, principal of Meads Mill Middle School, suggests, "Middle school kids need to have unwinding and reflecting time just as adults do." Reduces disruptive. The study also found that black students and students from low-income families were more likely to be given no recess or minimal recess. Setting the Stage for Healthy Choices. Helping them stay on-task in the classroom. DestinationCollege 2023: 8-Week Series Guiding Parents Through the College Admissions Process, Promoting Exercise For Teens: Raising Healthy Teens, What to Expect in Middle School: Strategies for Parents from Lisa Damour, Understanding Changing Middle School Friendships. Neuroscientist Sergio Pellis agrees, saying, countries where they actually have more recess tend to have higher academic performance than countries where recess is less [sic]. Gifted children may actually be ideally positioned to benefit from such a shift; the use of best practices such as preassessments and compacting can buy back time from academic pursuits time which may then be used, instead, for recess. 0000001468 00000 n Also, play helps kids manage stress and become resilient. But new research shows that children will eat 54 percent more fruits and vegetables at lunch if they eat after. This was developed by Springboard to Active Schools in collaboration with CDC. 340 0 obj I am glad that this website exists for my research, as I might turn the project (which will cite this page, most likely with a link) in to the middle school I will be attending next year. 348 0 obj Active, semi-structured, or structured recess is a break from the school day typically before lunch that involves a variety of planned, inclusive, and actively supervised games or activities. According to Scholastic, recess has positive cognitive, social, emotional, and physical outcomes for students. Body and Mind Classroom Resources for Teachers, Unit 6: Mental Health, Child Development, & Hygiene, Unit 7: Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Recess is an enormass change that happens between elementary and middle school. Magazines, Digital document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); I went to Catholic school, so it was the same place from 2nd through 8th grade for me. Advocates of . 0000003188 00000 n With increasing academic demands, social pressures and child obesity trends, middle school students may need recess more than ever before. However, there is an even longer list of reasons why cell phones in school is a bad thing. With increasing academic demands, social pressures and child obesity trends, middle school students may need recess more than ever before. She uses parent volunteers and time during the lunch period for recess, which helps parents connect to their kids and the school while kids get a break and the chance to find support from their friends. The divisions between elementary, middle, and high schools are historical and administrative, primarily, not reflective of some magical psychosocial research discovery of a crucial developmental tipping point which affects all children. Allowing kids to get exercise is one of the major issues that parents and advocacy groups, such as the Florida Department of Health, have against schools cutting recess. behavior in the classroom. When playing at recess, kids . In education, there are myriad pedagogical approaches, philosophies, curricula, and programs. Here is what they said: I decided to dig up my notes from when I toured the school to look at my pros and cons and see how they compared. 0000001797 00000 n Minor movement, even standing, counterbalances the sedentary time students spend sitting in classrooms and on the couch. But you know what might make survival easier? As kids aged, their education skewed more toward preparing for adulthood, which meant less recess and more work. According to Public School Review, the pros of recess include giving children time to socialize with their friends outside of the classroom, to get exercise and to have a break from their school work. The decision to have recess still remains up to the school's principal or administration, but you often see a decrease in recess as children get older. behavior in the classroom. The combined word count of the paired passages is 1,165 words. The elimination of mandatory recess spurred researchers to study its benefits on students. These expert doctors say, "Cognitive processing and academic performance depend on regular breaks from concentrated classroom work." How Cell Phones Can Be Used Effectively In the Classroom. The main goal was to promote written policy at the local and state levels that protects recess for students through sixth grade. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. 19 Unique & Popular Prom Themes for a Night to Remember. During the same period, the number of junior high schools declined by nearly 54 percent, from 7,800 in 1970-71 to . Thank you for taking the time to confirm your preferences. Pros / Cons - The Recess Debate Pros Introducing breaks after instruction time enhances attention and performance at all ages. The cons include taking time away from teachers who need more classroom time and being a liability for schools in general. Reducing disruptive behavior in the classroom. Proponents also suggest at-risk students do better in year-round schedules. So what would play mean for middle- and high school students? In my technology class Im creating my own article based website. But cutting recess and playtime may actually do more harm than good. The PTA painted the blacktop to mark out various activities to inspire more movement, and adults are on hand to encourage participation. endobj Researchers, health professionals, and educational leaders believe that allowing periods of play is even more im- 337 0 obj <>/Metadata 325 0 R/Outlines 272 0 R/Pages 318 0 R/StructTreeRoot 279 0 R/Type/Catalog/ViewerPreferences<>>> Using a cell phone, students can dig information on a specific topic using various learning apps, surfing on the web and hence get better results. When recess is eliminated or reduced, it is often because a school is allocating more time to subjects covered on standardized tests, aiming to improve student achievement. Saving Lives, Protecting People, CDC and SHAPE America: Recess Planning Template (2017), Oklahoma Education: Painted Play Spaces Assessment and Planning Toolkit, Peaceful Playgrounds 60 Alternatives to Withholding Recess, http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=18314&page=R1, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors and Academic Grades, Tobacco Product Use Behaviors and Academic Grades, Other Health Behaviors and Academic Grades, Characteristics of an Effective Curriculum, Tips for Promoting School Employee Wellness, Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool, Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT), Body Mass Index (BMI) Measurement in Schools, Inclusive School Physical Education and Physical Activity, Physical Activity Before and After School, What School Nutrition Professionals Need to Know About COVID-19, Modifying School Spaces During Mealtimes to Reduce Spread of COVID-19, Supporting Students with Chronic Health Conditions in School-Based OST Programs, Healthy and Supportive School Environments, Strategies to Create a Healthy and Supportive School Environment, Strategies to Help Parents and Families Create Healthy and Supportive School Environments, How Families Can Support Student Health and Emotional Well-being, Toolkit for Schools: Engaging Parents to Support Student Health and Emotional Well-being, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), School Health Policies and Practices Study (SHPPS), e-Learning Series: Training Tools for Healthy Schools, Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program, Guide to Evaluating Professional Development, Understanding the Training of Trainers Model, Professional Development Follow-Up Support, How to Build a Training Cadre: A Step-by-Step Process, Guide to Promoting Professional Development, Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC), Encourage healthy eating in school and at home, Dental Sealants Can Improve Students Oral Health, Give Your Kids a Healthy Body and Mind This Summer, Engaging Parents to Promote Healthy Schools, Funded Nongovernmental Organizations for Healthy Schools, BAM! Get a successful start as a babysitter with these simple tips! Experts argue that physical education and recess should both be part of a childs schedule. http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/688 The report called for standardized testing and put pressure on students and teachers to perform, meaning more time needed to be spent learning and preparing for the tests. Reasons why recess is being eliminated: 1. Recess in a Middle School: What Do the Students Do? When children sit for long periods of time, they build up surplus energy. This will surely come from rethinking education during and after the time of COVID-19. The individuals who joined the Playworks Board in December 2022 and January 2023 are: Leslie Boissiere Vice President, External Affairs Annie E. Casey Foundation Leslie oversees the Annie, Play is a behavior that is natural and has existed for thousands of years and across species. Many health and education experts argue that recess is a necessary activity for child development, and parents have begun to advocate for more recess time. It is this approach which reflects the way schools most often think about play and its necessity (or lack thereof) to education. I would love to mention your website as well as attach a link to this article for the assignment. Students should have recess in middle school because students spend too much time on the computer, and its is like a big brain break instead of many small ones. Some kids do not get the opportunity to play with their friends outside of the school environment. Researchers, policymakers, schools, students, and parents are coming together to weigh in on this debate armed with current research and theories. Each brings a unique set of talents and perspective that will support Playworks mission. Scot Osterweil, Creative Director of MITs Education Arcade, first articulated the four freedoms of play, which we do not necessarily otherwise enjoy outside of play: Osterweils ideas may strike a chord in you as you think about what kids do when they play, or when you remember your own childhood play. How can the teachers keep track of so many kids? on school playgrounds (Pellegrini et al. 75+Fun Things for Bored Teens to Do at Home. startxref Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are a number of reasons that middle and high schools need to consider giving students recess: 1. Studies also show that recess can improve student nutrition when held before lunchtime. Quality physical education along with daily recess are necessary components of the school curriculum that enable students to develop physical competence, health-related fitness, self responsibility, and enjoyment of physical activity so that they can be physically active for a lifetime, the groups wrote in a position paper about elementary school recess in 2001. <>/Border[0 0 0]/Contents( U N I \n S c h o l a r W o r k s)/Rect[72.0 650.625 200.75 669.375]/StructParent 3/Subtype/Link/Type/Annot>> 4. The idea of saving recess got major publicity in 2006 when Cartoon Network launched a campaign in conjunction with the National Parent and Teacher's Association called Rescuing Recess. 2. The Grayson School is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Celebrating 25 Years The 2021-2022 school year marked a major milestone for our team as we celebrated 25 years of bringing the power of play to kids across the country. [4], There exists little to no research on what middle school and high school students do with recess time, probably because of its very rarity. And maybe taking play out of the day is a kind of a punishment to this seemingly tortured group of young souls; after all, the benefits of recess in schools are pretty powerful. Only 4% of high schools are required to provide regular physical activity. But if you're on the fence, here are some things to think about. A study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that 42 percent of the nation's schoolchildren get most of their total daily exercise at recess - more than do so in P.E. We celebrate diversity and are fully committed to creating an inclusive community at our school. In the United States, school violence is an ongoing issue that students face as they get older. 0000001888 00000 n And in districts where middle school gym class is still available, it's often an elective and many students don't even participate. Aside from the physical benefits of playing sports, however, there are some other benefits to consider. However they spend their recess, no student is sitting for seven hours a day. 0000002842 00000 n And for the ones that arent, well, lets hope they at least make for a good story some day. Some research suggests that by the ninth grade, summer learning losses account for two-thirds of the achievement gap between low- and middle-income students. 338 0 obj The sixth graders had 15 minutes of recessbarely enough time to stretch their legs. All while managing body hair, growth spurts and backpacks that weigh more than their younger siblings. endobj Honestly, its a miracle any of us survive middle school. A 2014 study published in Preventive Medicine found that holding recess before lunch increased students fruit and vegetable consumption by 54%. Top 10 Reasons for Recess. There is no theory or empirical evidence to support this point of view. u n i . You may think differently, but there is no denying the facts that prove my opinion. Not enough money for the people to supervise and for the equipment. As such, the observations about these students behaviors likely reflect middle school students learning how to use recess for the first time rather than how a student accustomed to daily recess behaves differently in middle school than in elementary school. Physical education is important, but how the time is structured is determined by the teacher. (The Pros and Cons of Homeschooling, 2014) mentions that homeschooling can help a child learn better in their comfort . 24,30 In other countries, such as Japan, primary school-aged children have a 10- to 15-minute break every hour, and this is thought to reflect the fact that attention spans begin to wane after 40 to 50 minutes of intense instruction. Find support for your school, organization, or community. Adams County 27J, a K-12 district in Denver's northeastern suburbs with more than 18,000 students enrolled, will institute a Tuesday-to-Friday schedule in its schools this fall. Im happy that you found this information useful, and of course you may cite it in the service of advocating for recess at your school. Learn moreabout how these efforts can enhance the play environments at schools by using colorful paint and stencils to create recess games.