The Crucial Role of Recess in School

Abstract

Recess is at the heart of a vigorous debate over the role of schools in promoting the optimal development of the whole child. A growing trend toward reallocating time in school to accentuate the more academic subjects has put this important facet of a child’s school day at risk. Recess serves as a necessary break from the rigors of concentrated, academic challenges in the classroom. But equally important is the fact that safe and well-supervised recess offers cognitive, social, emotional, and physical benefits that may not be fully appreciated when a decision is made to diminish it. Recess is unique from, and a complement to, physical education—not a substitute for it. The American Academy of Pediatrics believes that recess is a crucial and necessary component of a child’s development and, as such, it should not be withheld for punitive or academic reasons.

Associations of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior with Academic Skills – A Follow-Up Study among Primary School Children

“…Our finding is also indirectly supported by the observation that a single PA bout of 20 minutes improves reading achievement in children with and without attention deficit or hyperactivity disorder symptoms [21], [22]. Recess PA may also offer socioemotional benefits, such as improved peer relationships and an improved social climate at school, which may improve academic achievement [46]. It should also be noted that 1.5 hours of physical education per week are compulsory during Grades 1–9 in Finland.…”

“…Although this is the first study to reveal the direct association of recess PA with a measure of academic achievement, the results of earlier studies suggest that recess PA enhances attention, concentration and on-task behavior which may improve academic achievement in children [28]. Recess offers not only an opportunity to exercise but also a break period from concentrated teaching in the class-room that may enhance children’s ability to re-concentrate afterwards [46]. In all Finnish schools recesses are offered throughout the school day.…”

A Tangled Web: The Challenges of Implementing an Evidence-Based Social Engagement Intervention for Children With Autism in Urban Public School Settings

“…Training school leadership and staff about the value of recess may be the most important strategy schools could use to support implementation. There are many global benefits of recess for children’s cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1997; Council on School Health, 2013; Henley, McBride, Milligan, & Nichols, 2007; Lee, Burgeson, Fulton, & Spain, 2007); thus, it is important for schools to ensure recess is a protected and meaningful part of the day, where children have the opportunity to socialize and practice their interpersonal skills. During inclement weather, recess should be made available indoors, even if space is an issue (e.g., hallway, back of the auditorium, gym, library, corner of the cafeteria, classrooms).…”

Student receptivity to new school meal offerings: Assessing fruit and vegetable waste among middle school students in the Los Angeles Unified School District

“…Engaging students in designing new menu options and implementing complementary interventions can help increase student demand for and consumption of more fruit and vegetable options. Potentially promising interventions include offering a greater variety of fruits and vegetables (Adams et al, 2005), increasing physical activity (e.g., recess, physical education) before lunch to increase hunger for water-rich foods (Murray et al, 2013; Getlinger et al, 1996), involving students in growing fruits and vegetables as part of school gardens (Davis et al, 2011; Gatto et al, 2012; Heim et al, 2009), infusing nutrition education materials into the school’s standard curriculum (Guthrie and Buzby, 2002), implementing more health marketing campaigns that promote the appeal of new food items (Baranowski et al 2000; Blanchette and Brug, 2005), and redesigning the placement of products to encourage consumption – for example, providing a variety of vegetables at a salad bar (Slusser et al, 2007; Adams et al, 2005) or providing healthy food at eye level (Berkeley Media Studies Group, 2006). …”