10 Reasons Recess is so Important
This Featured Article is part of our Recess Series
by Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer - The Recess Doctor
1) Recess is important because it serves as a necessary break from the rigors of concentrated, academic challenges in the classroom. It also offers cognitive, social, emotional, and physical benefits that may not be fully appreciated when a decision is made to diminish it. Pediatrics, Dec. 31, 2012.
Cognitive Benefits
2) Several studies demonstrate that recess, whether performed indoors or outdoors, made children more attentive and more productive in the classroom Jarrett, O. J. Education Research, 1998.
3) Morning outdoor breaks contribute to optimal cognitive processing and a break from academic instruction when interspersed between academic blocks of instruction required by the concentrated instruction. Pellegrino AD. Recess: Its Role in Education Development 205.
Social and Emotional Benefits
4) Children gain the opportunity to practice social skills and role-play with peers. National Association of Early Childhood Specialist in State Departments of Education, American Education Research Journal. The Importance of Play 2011.
5) Through play at recess, children learn valuable communication skills, including negotiation, cooperation, sharing, problem-solving, and coping skills, such as perseverance and self-control. National Association of Sport and Physical Education. Physical Activity for Children. 2004.
Click See full Article to see 6-10
Including Physical Benefits
and UPDATE – The Benefits of free and unstructured play for young children.
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