Effects Of Recess

The Effects of Recess All day in the classroom, kids are being told: “Be quiet. Sit still. Be quiet. Sit still,” says Nelly Torres, a parent of a first and fourth grader in the Chicago Public Schools. “That’s because they need their recess,” or look at it this way: “Think about how grown-ups would like it if their bosses took away their lunch hours and dictated how they spent it” (Adams). According to kids, recess is just a time out of the classroom to play on monkey bars or the tire swing. What students may not realize is that it actually helps them grow in many ways. Teachers can also utilize the time recess provides to complete tasks such as grading homework or revising lesson plans. Elementary students should continue to have recess because

First of all, students have short attention spans and are unable to concentrate on classwork for long periods of time. “Day to Day Parenting” explains, “Children ages 5-6 years old typically can attend to one activity that is of interest to them for around 10-15 minutes at a time.” Research shows that when kids have to wait longer for recess their attentiveness majorly decreases; however, kids with more frequent recess fidget much less and have an easier time staying on task. Without recess or a change in activity, children will become restless and interruptive. The article “Why Kids Need Recess and Why It’s Endangered” states, “Even a single 15-minute daily recess was correlated with more-positive ratings of classroom behavior.” Often times lower elementary teachers have students get up and move around before continuing on to a new subject. Rae Pica says, “Because young children don’t process most information as effectively as older

In the article “4 Reasons Why Both Teachers and Kids Need Recess” Shannon Gray explains, “Recess gives teachers a chance to take a mental breather before continuing with the rest of the day” (Gray). They can use the time while students are at recess to eat a small energizing snack and socialize with coworkers. Elementary teachers can also recuperate and reflect on how the students are interacting during recess. In schools without recess, teachers have to “be sneaky or creative” such as taking kids on walks to fit in some activity (Adams). With recess, teachers do not have to do this because the time for exercise has already been given for the students. Teachers are constantly adjusting instructions to accommodate for students that lack understanding. Recess can be applied to tutor students who are struggling with an assignment or