Is There Still a Place for Recess? Essay

In an era where each passing time is becoming an instrument towards one’s progress, every hour is considered critical. But is this ideal appropriate for children especially those who are still in their first step towards learning? Break time, or recess as it is more commonly known, becomes an increasingly hot topic when it comes to a child’s learning activity and capability. In 1989, the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) surveyed state superintendents and found that 90% of schools grant their students at least one break period each day (Jarrett, 2002). However, during the same year, in the hopes of lengthening the students’ time for studying, many schools abolished break times. Most schools also reason out their increasing accountability for providing students with effective education pressures them to pack in more instructional time for children and thus, eliminating break times for the day. They also feel that break times have no effect on a children’s learning progress and in fact, can do more harm than good. More people believe that recess heightens unacceptable behaviour in schools. According to the Elton Committee when asked to describe the long lunch break period, recess is â€Å"the single biggest behaviour problem that [staff] face† (Department of Education and Science, 1989, as cited in Blatchford & Sumpner, 1998). Since children becomes more free during break times and are more often unsupervised during these times, most believe that it is during these times that bullying and violence occur. In this day and age where time is considered critical is there still a place for recess? Does recess assist in a child’s learning or does it just pose a problem to a child’s learning progress? This paper presents several recent studies on the said topic to discuss the relationship, and perhaps importance, of recess on a child’s learning progress, social development and health (Jarrett, 2002). The studies selected for this paper’s review are those that present the positive side of having recess at school. Presentation of the studies are in chronological order, that is, from the older studies conducted during 1998 to the more recent studies conducted until [year]. Furthermore, this paper hopes to determine or suggest some policies regarding recess and break times that can actually help in child’s learning capability. STUDIES ON RECESS AND ITS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON STUDENTS Blatchford and Sumpner (1998) conducted â€Å"a national survey examining the current situation and changes over the past 5 years† (Abstract, p. 79) because they think that break times, and its positive effects on children’s learning progress, are taken for granted. Moreover, they conducted the study because they believe that school staff members and parents alike lack the information, even the basic ones, on the characteristics of break times. Their sample included 1245 primary schools and 300 secondary schools. They found that majority of school staff members and parents have a negative view of break time but they seem to not notice the possible social value of break times to students. They also found students (16-year-olds) consider break time a big issue and think that this very issue should be taken seriously and considered throughout school life. In addition to this, students perceive that break times lets them take a break from ‘work’ and provide them with the opportunity to socialize and make friends. This is where the importance of break times comes in. Blatchford and Sumpner (1998) explain that as the students go from the primary to the secondary level of schooling, their social lives becomes more important and more critical. Thus, for the students, break times allow them to be sociable in deeper ways. For Blatchford and Sumpner (1998), this underlying principle should be considered by the school staff members so they can understand the importance of break periods. In 2002, Pellegrini and Blatchford discussed the importance of school recess to children’s development. They found that children become less and less attentive while their class lessons last. However, after they have taken their break time, they surprisingly become more focused on their class work. This is because recess serves as a break and relaxation period for a child’s tiring work of listening to his teacher. Children are more tired in the morning before the break since they have only just woke up and are still adjusting over the time. After the break, their body and mind become more relaxed and thus, they can focus more on their work. Pellegrini and Blatchford (2002) offered two educational theories that can explain why children become more alert after recess. According to one theory, the distribution of work and rest over the day helps in relaxing the mind and body and increasing the cognitive performance of any person regardless of age. Another theory explains that the longer time spent by a person working over one particular demanding decrease the cognitive performance of that person over that particular task. While adults may regain their focus on their work by switching to another less complicated work, children may regain their attention to the task at hand by providing them with break periods so they can have time to adjust. Pellegrini and Blatchford (2002) further contends the same argument as with Blatchford and Sumpner (1998) — that recess aid children in their social development. This particular argument is presented by the succeeding researchers as discussed in this paper. In the same year, Jarrett (2002) reviewed other researches on the effect of recess on children’s learning, social development and health. She also presented some of the negative connotations about recess. Relating recess to learning, Jarrett (2002) argues that since recess is a form of break from one’s daily routine, it becomes essential for children as it aids them to be satisfied and stay alert for the rest of the day. Jarrett also explains, as did Blatchford and Sumpner (1998), that recess becomes a tool for the social interaction of children. She explains that children become more socially active since during this time of the day, children learn to be independent by organizing their own games and deciding on the rules of the games they organize. Recess also becomes a tool for children to have physical activity in school since this is the time where children moves more freely and can decide on their own. Jarrett (2002) emphasizes the importance of break times with regards to physical activity since physical activities can significantly improve children’s health. In connection with Jarrett’s (2002) argument about physical activity during recess, Beighle et al. (2006) examined the physical activity of students during recess and outside of school (Abstract, p. 516) by studying pedometer-determined activities of 319 third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students attending suburban elementary schools in southwest United States. According to them, it was during these times that children have more choices on which activity they want to participate in. They further contend that it is during these discretionary periods that children gain more â€Å"potential to make a significant contribution to children’s overall activity levels† (p. 516) since they experience these breaks everyday. They found that children engage in physical activity more during their recess period than in any other time of the day including outside of school and classes. Because of this, they suggested that schools should make more equipment available during these times to further encourage the children to engage in physical activities. Riley and Jones (2007) also reviewed some related studies on the positive effects of physical activity during recess. They strongly support Jarrett’s (2002) argument on the impact of recess on children’s social development. According to them, some children may start out as timid and apprehensive in their first days at school. Recess, however, gives them an opportunity to reach out to other children by playing and interacting with them. Moreover, conflicts between peers can be resolved during these times. It is also during these times that children learn what behaviours are expected of them. Adding to assisting in the social development of children, recess can also be an instrument to their language development. Recess provides opportunities for children not just to play with others but also to practice their conversation skills since it is during these times that children engage in conversations more freely with their peers without the fear of being reprimanded by their teachers. Riley and Jones (2007) also support others’ argument that recess can aid in children’s physical development. Kahan (2008), along with the others, supports the idea that physical activity, especially during childhood, helps children in more ways than one. He contends that schools should go beyond what physical education can offer in order to address the increasing reports of physical inactivity among children. According to him, physical educations in most schools are only offered with a cumulative duration of 85 to 98 minutes per week. However, the recommended daily physical activity of children each week should be more than 60 minutes. Moreover, not all schools have physical education in their curriculum. In fact, only 17 to 22 percent offer physical education to their students. Thus, physical education does not significantly contribute to a student’s physical activity. Kahan (2008) recommends that schools should provide children with sufficient break time periods along with other extracurricular activities since these are the times where children engage in more physical activities than in classrooms or physical education classes. According to him, recess contributes to one-third of the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity. Thus, Kahan (2008) purports that break times should not be abolished, but rather should be expanded. CONCLUSION Because of certain misconceptions about recess, more and more schools choose to abolish these periods due to their belief that recess can do more harm than good. Staff members and parents alike believe that inappropriate behaviors such as bullying and violence are mostly done during recess. Moreover, many schools believed that recess only distracts the focus of students from learning and that it only obstructs instructional time thus, posing a threat to their learning progress. However, researches contend that, in contrary to these beliefs, recess actually do more good to students than harm. Studies show that recess aid in children’s social, physical and even language development. During recess, children are freer to choose which types of activities they want to participate in, giving them a sense of independence and teaching them decision-making skills. They learn to organize their own activities during recess without the fear of rejection from their teachers. They also learn to interact with other children by playing with them or conversing with them, thus, increasing their ability to socialize with others. They can either make new friends or resolve conflicts with peers. Children’s language development is also aided by recess. Children do not just learn to interact with others; they also practice their conversation skills by talking or discussing with their friends no matter whatever their topic is. Thus, recess also contributes to children’s academic achievement. Moreover, recess acts as a cognitive interference for children so that they can regain their focus on their class work. Adding to the fact that it is during this time that children eat, recess also provides children to have more physical activities since this is the time where they can move and play free without fear of being reprimanded by their teachers. These physical activities which range from moderately vigorous to vigorous activities help children in becoming physical fit. All in all, it is safe to say that recess have more positive than negative effects. Thus, it is advised that such periods where children can develop in more ways than should not be abolished. REFERENCES Beighle, A. , Morgan, C. F. , Masurier, G. L. , & Pangrazi, R. P. (2006). Children’s physical activity during recess and outside of school. The Journal of School Health, 76(10), 516-520. Blatchford, P. , & Sumpner, C. (1998). What do we know about breaktime? Results from a national survey of breaktime and lunchtime in primary and secondary schools. British Educational Research Journal, 24(1), 79-94. Jarrett, O. S. (2002). Recess in elementary school: What does the research say? ERIC Digest. Kahan, D. (2008). Recess, extracurricular activities, and active classrooms: Means for increasing elementary school students’ physical activity. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 79(2), 26-39. Pellegrini, A. , & Blatchford, P. (2002). The developmental and educational significance of recess in schools. Early Report, 29(1), 1-7. Riley, J. G. , & Jones, R. B. (2007). 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