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As a student in elementary school, the classroom was a very interesting and compelling place that I loved; however, due to the stimulations I was susceptive to in the classrooms, I became overwhelmed and easily distracted. Snack and nap breaks were helpful and refreshing but were not as beneficial as recess was. Schools must set aside time in elementary students’ schedules for recess, as it allows students to return to the classroom with a refreshed mindset, better listening skills, and more focus.
Despite the necessity of recess, 77 percent of school principals report that they withhold recess as punishment, according to a Gallup poll commissioned by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In the same poll, 80% of principals acknowledge that time to play has a “positive impact on achievement,” and two-thirds of principals state that “students listen better after recess and are more focused in class.” Teachers also tend to take away recess “as a way to carve out a few extra minutes of learning time in an otherwise packed day.” Recess is vital, and it is saddening that the same people who sing the benefits of recess for students, also use it against them as a punishment.
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In response to the unnecessary discipline and decrease in rates and time for recess in schools, the AAP issued a policy statement, “The Crucial Role of Recess,” to make clear-cut recommendations to schools. Their claim is apparent and explicit, “recess offers cognitive, social, emotional, and physical benefits that may not be fully appreciated when a decision is made to diminish it.” Diminishing recess is far from our best interest.
Not only are recess and physical play beneficial to physical health, it’s “critically important for mental health.” Students with good mental health can then achieve their academic goals,” argues Amanda Kost, representing the University of Washington faculty. Teachers, principals, parents, and guardians, the biggest aspiration for children should be for them to achieve these academic goals. We cannot let our students down.
If it is in our best interest for students to be at their highest potential, recess cannot be withheld as a form of punishment. Instead, we need to protect it. It is nonsensical to withhold the physical activity and mental rest that students need and deserve daily. According to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, about 50% of districts provide 30 to 45 minutes of recess a day, while a third provides between 16 and 30 minutes a day. Even just 15 minutes outside benefits lives in and out of the classroom. Once I got a short amount of time away from my desk and stiff classroom, with the chance to be creative and feel a sense of freedom, I could approach my learning in ways I never would have thought plausible.
Works Cited
Demkovich, Laurel. “Washington May Require 30-Minute Recess at All Schools.” Spokesman-Review, The (Spokane, WA), 22 Feb. 2023. Newspaper Source Plus, research.ebsco.com/c/idf4ib/viewer/html/di3e4hcdtb?route=details.
Gonchar, Michael. “Do Kids Need Recess?” The Learning Network, archive.nytimes.com/learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02/14/do-kids-need-recess/. Accessed 13 Dec. 2023.
Murray, et al. “The Crucial Role of Recess in School.” American Academy of Pediatrics, Jan. 2013, dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2012-2993.
Working With Others to Build a National Culture of Health | RWJF. https://www.rwjf.org/en/robert-wood-johnson-foundation.html. Accessed 14 Dec. 2023.