The idea of recess has shifted
dramatically over the years – nearly to the point where teachers see it as a
“nuisance” because it is interrupting their teaching time. Playtime, especially
in the younger elementary grades, is a major contributing factor to a child’s
overall education and helping them perform their very best.
When I asked one of my students one
morning what her favorite part of the day was she immediately piped up yelling
in pure excitement, “RECESS!” I couldn’t help but laugh because I thought to
myself, - Silly question, she’s just a
kid. Of course she loves recess! This amusing response got me thinking
about how I, as an educator, believe that recess is equally as important as
classroom time.
As much as I believe in the
importance of classroom time, I also feel it is so important for children to explore
their learning through playtime as well! Recess is a time all about social
interaction and imaginative play. It is a time for kids to simply be kids again. But with today’s schedule,
20 minutes a day for recess simply isn’t cutting it. In reality, by the time
children are lined up and accounted for, they ultimately have 15 minutes for
time for themselves. 15 minutes! – As
we can all probably agree, that is just too short of a time compared to the
long school day these children are putting in.
With this new trend, I am currently
trying to incorporate scheduled breaks at various parts throughout the school
day. This is a great way to break up the school day and separate downtime from
academics. Something as simple as having the class do ten jumping jacks as we
transition from reading to math has made a huge difference and overall
improvement in their attention span!
Overall, recess is equally as
important as academics, especially in the younger age groups. Therefore, we
need to acknowledge that kids are still
kids and need time to express that as well.
I agree that recess, or other types of physical activity, are essential to the learning process of children. I have read a number of articles liking physical activities to better MCAS scores for elementary students. So I think that you are certainly on to something with this blog post.
ReplyDeleteI found it particularly interesting how you incorporated motion into your lesson plans. I feel like that would be a good way to break up things that students might find 'boring' and provide a quick burst of energy and excitement.
I always thought reading was the best part of school (especially filling out the SRA Books), but recess was a close second. I'm glad that you're keeping recess in kid's lives.
ReplyDeleteGreat topic. I do believe that reccess is great for children and it should not be abolished or cut in time. I like how you mentioned that it is a social time for students in which they can use to learn as well. Though you also mentioned that you would like constant breaks for students to have these times. Do you ever worry or wonder that this may be too much? Overall, I agree with you and enjoyed reading the blog.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is something often overlooked in many school systems! I also think you prove a good point about how this time is crucial and a time students are able to have imaginative play and more social interaction.
ReplyDeleteAllowing student's, especially those who are so young, to have some more down time will absolutely help them stay focused and assert their energy more efficiently throughout the day.
I teach young kids as well, and I completely agree with you. At my center, we try to incorporate as much outside time and free- play time as possible. My preschool children do learn through directed activities, but free play is where they get to make the rules and have the most fun.
ReplyDeleteI have also seen some articles lately suggesting introducing recess into high school. Personally, I think giving older students the opportunity to get outside and get their energy out, or just relax outside of a stuffy classroom. If you think about it, this makes a lot of sense that it would be beneficial. As college students, it is very common to see people outside relaxing in between classes.
I agree with your statement that having recess is crucial for social interaction. You also talked about "incorporate scheduled breaks at various parts throughout the school day." Not all children handle transitions well so this might cause issues for some of your students. Its great to sneak in being active but a child might not understand to stop and it could continue into the next activity.It might work for some children but not for all. Just something to think about.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is an important topic, I remember when i was little and loved going recess because i needed that break to be social with other classroom members and kind of recollect what i have been thought so far. Recess is very important and should definitely never be taken away.
ReplyDeleteWow, how could anyone who has ever gone to elementary school not agree with you? As much as I loved the learning and the reading when I was in elementary school, there is no way that I would have continued to love learning without the break from it. Even now as adults we are taught that in order to be successful, especially professionally, we need to take breaks and naps even, so there is no reason why we should take from children their only breaks, their recess.
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