This article is concerned with giving recess to students. Megan Rosker was about to put one of her children into kindergarten in a public school near Tampa, Florida. She was a former teacher and had moved to Florida from New Mexico. A friend who had older children already in school informed her that this all-day kindergarten did not have recess. But, the students were able to run around during the last half hour of class on the Fridays as a reward for being good all week. She states that humans of any age become overwhelmed if they do not get a break from work. Rosker used to teach kindergarten in New Mexico, and at her school, students got two recesses every day of the week. This article states that research argues that children and adults both learn and work better when they get breaks. “The Role of Recess in Children’s Cognitive Performance and School Adjustment” found that children are more attentive after than before recess. It is noted that in Asian schools, whose test scores are very high, give children a ten-minute break after ever 40 minutes of instruction. Many people were not concerned that their children were not getting to have recess. Many teachers also claimed that there was not enough time because of testing and accountability. Megan Rosker has since moved to New York City, where she finds schools to be more “progressive.”
After reading this article, I find that I completely agree with Megan Rosker. All students need a break from learning to socialize, explore their creativity, and engage in active play. Yes, I am aware that schools have lunch, snack, and bathroom breaks, but that is not enough. Children need a time everyday where they can be themselves, and have at least 20 to 30 minutes of time without instruction, other than lunch, snack, and bathroom breaks. I believe that students who have these breaks from learning will be more likely to pay more attention and be more engaged in learning after recess. This is a social problem because with all of the standardized testing we have now, many schools have taken away recess. This overwhelms students. I am a college student, and I still have to take frequent breaks when studying for a test, or sitting in one classroom for three hours. Also, recess might be the only chance some students have to be physically active throughout the day. Not having recess could lead to obesity for some children. This article states that Asian schools have ten-minute breaks after every 40-minutes of instruction, and their test scores seem to be very high. This is a key reason as to why students should get a recess throughout their six to seven hour school days.
http://www.educationnews.org/k-12-schools/julia-steiny-parents-must-fight-for-kids’-right-to-recess/
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