"The playground as a classroom" is an article that describes the importance of recess. It expands on many different ways that recess betters a child such as learning social skills, getting exercise, learning to create, and most importantly recess allows the child to be a more attentive student.
The article develops the theory that recess can be a creative learning environment. It goes one to say that children, while exploring their natural world, are able to create their own worlds by creating forts, collecting rocks, and digging. Children have shown that they succeed best when they are given choices. On their own they are able to create and explore and learn from each other. " The outdoors is a classroom of the students' own construction."
The article develops the theory that recess can be a creative learning environment. It goes one to say that children, while exploring their natural world, are able to create their own worlds by creating forts, collecting rocks, and digging. Children have shown that they succeed best when they are given choices. On their own they are able to create and explore and learn from each other. " The outdoors is a classroom of the students' own construction."
Current U.S. Department of Education reports that 18 percents of students in grades one through six are only get 15 minutes of free time each day. While 40 percent have taken recess out completely because to allow for students to get the maximum amount of time spent on academics. Left behind are the social skills, exercise, and creativity students learn from recess.
Research shows that students who get the opportunity to play outdoors are more attentive and less restless in the classroom. More in depth studies of the brain show that breaks in-between learning sessions provides the student with better recall abilities. Recess is also proven to have a huge impact in the students social abilities throughout his or her life. " Pellegrino, Kato, Blatchford, and Baines found that primary school children's reciprocal social play predicts their social competence on year later."
Recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service children over the age of 2 should get around 60 minutes of exercise a day. In only 30 year the obesity rate has nearly doubles. Almost 15 percent of children in the U.S. are obese and over 80 percent of the obese children will become obese adults.
Children obviously need recess to succeed not only in academics but for their social skills and their health.
Even though research has shown again and again that students are more likely to pay attention and be less restless after having recess, some believe that recess should be taken out of school in order to have more time for learning. Pellegrini and Davis have found that the longer a child sit the less attentive they become. In more in depth research of the brain, studies have shown that students without breaks do poorly on assignments and tests. To me the obvious thing to do is have recess. So, why are others insisting that it would benefit the children to have more class time when it is proven that is not true? I believe that physical activity should always be incorporated in a school day. Not only will it help prevent the scary amount of child obesity, it will also help the children to pay attention during lessons and succeed academically.
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