middle school recess pros and cons

So while some schools argue that kids need to go home and play, it is impossible for some kids to play in a safe environment similar to what schools provide. endobj The report called for standardized testing and put pressure on students and teachers to perform, meaning more time needed to be spent learning and preparing for the tests. 340 0 obj 327 22 With increasing academic demands, social pressures and child obesity trends, middle school students may need recess more than ever before. Schools in other parts of the world are in session more days per year, for more hours per day, with more rigid schedules. Generally, it seems that schools think that students should become serious about their studies in high school, and that middle schools role as a transition to high school means that recess that frivolous, empty, unstructured piece of (four kinds of) freedom must be put aside. If these subjects are being cut, where does that leave recess? Take a mid-period break where everyone plays Simon Says, practices a yoga stretch, or walks around the building. How to Use Project Based Learning for Students with ADHD :), Thank you this was very helpful im in 6th grade and were doing a petition & a essay because we think 6th grades need recess, Im very glad it was useful to you! While one side points to the rising obesity rate among today's youth as a reason to keep it, the other side points to the fact that the American educational system lags behind many other countries. 1. DestinationCollege 2023: 8-Week Series Guiding Parents Through the College Admissions Process, Promoting Exercise For Teens: Raising Healthy Teens, What to Expect in Middle School: Strategies for Parents from Lisa Damour, Understanding Changing Middle School Friendships. However they spend their recess, no student is sitting for seven hours a day. <> That was it. I was given the liberty to choose what id like my topic to be. Teachers Taking Away Recess - Healthline ``Az@\ !7 @8Q> _h%b` Studies say that as many as 40 percent of schools nationwide have cut recess. Do You Need Recess? - Persuasive Writing | Scholastic Scope Magazine The main goal was to promote written policy at the local and state levels that protects recess for students through sixth grade. I so wish I could go back to being twelve again.. Students today take an average of 112 mandated standardized tests between pre-kindergarten and 12th grade, according to an analysis by the Council of the Great City Schools in 2015. One definition of learning is acquiring knowledge through experience. Qld Handwriting Year 3 Passages Teaching Resources | TPT Cite this lesson. xVy~}F0N13`&p"I9:tZ"-"}]{~~x/ c HfE4sowa-n_?B. Are you an educator? Has the trend to cut recess gone too far? It can really suck at time. The teacher encourages students to complete the research tasks and the smartphone is a very good way to carry out research. Improves students' memory, attention and concentration. This surprised me because all students in our high school are mandated to take physical education. 2002-2023 LoveToKnow Media. Many proponents of world academic competition adhere to this argument today suggesting American schools have a duty to educate students according to high standards that will prepare them to compete professionally in the global market. performing schools, many school communities have reduced their recess time or completely eliminated recess from the school day (Barros et al., 2009; Cen-ters for Disease Control & Prevention, 2012). Based on the Word Net lexical database for the English Language. 4. See disclaimer. Focused as we are on competitiveness, international test scores, and proficiency, it seems that we have managed to squeeze the play out of school altogether. Why We Need to Make Time for Middle School Recess - Your Teen Magazine 14 Should Cellphones Be Allowed in School Pros and Cons Recess is a regularly scheduled period in the school day for physical activity and play that is monitored by trained staff or volunteers.1,2 During recess, students are encouraged to be physically active and engaged with their peers in activities of their choice, at all grade levels, kindergarten through 12th grade.1,3. Researchers, scientists, and doctors have studied the effects of play on kidsand adultsand understand that this natural behavior has tremendous benefits. Body and Mind Classroom Resources for Teachers, Unit 6: Mental Health, Child Development, & Hygiene, Unit 7: Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. 338 0 obj In our era of assessment and accountability, school districts look for ways to increase instructional time. 87 percent of parents of middle and high schoolers support physical activity requirements in schools. Okay, so I was worried. Children in both elementary and middle schools need outside time to release pent up stress. endobj There are so many benefits to having recess in middle school. But thats lifesometimes people use bad words, sometimes people arent so nice, but most of the time they just want to chat, make you laugh or borrow your new favorite book. endobj Mint Hill Middle School is ranked within the top 20% of all 2,571 schools in North Carolina (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2018-19 school year. The newness of it all left us intoxicated. PDF Advocating for Play: The Benefits of Unstructured Play in Public Schools 0000001797 00000 n Drinkworth earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from the University of Wisconsin and won a media award for her in-depth coverage of local politics. The Pros of a Longer School Day Matches Parents Schedules Currently, most K-12 schools dismiss their students in the mid-afternoon. One reason middle schools should have recess is that kids are supposed to exercise 30 minutes every day to stay healthy. 329 0 obj 0000003188 00000 n Physical fitness data is better with recess. The 2016 Shape of the Nation report by the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE America) provides a snapshot of what recess in the U.S. looks like for adolescents. Maybe its because its during those years we took our first steps out from under the near-constant wing of our parents. Clearly, boxing and football are not equivalent. [331 0 R 332 0 R 333 0 R 334 0 R 335 0 R 336 0 R 337 0 R 338 0 R 339 0 R] It combines a set of made-up rules or norms and a willingness to explore. 70% of kindergarten classrooms in schools in the U.S. had a recess period (Pellegrini & Bohn, 2005). Experts argue that physical education and recess should both be part of a childs schedule. The survey showed that 20% of school districts had reduced recess time. Physical activity increases blood flow, which sends oxygen to the brain. Lowers stress in students. The logical conclusion was American students didn't spend enough time in school focused on learning. Share how great your junior year is by adding the perfect caption to your Instagram. 240 Words; 1 Pages; Satisfactory . . Active recess efforts are often multi-component interventions that include . Do Middle Schools Make Sense? - Harvard Graduate School of Education Improving their social and emotional development (e.g., learning how to share and negotiate). In the United States, school violence is an ongoing issue that students face as they get older. Active, semi-structured, or structured recess is a break from the school day typically before lunch that involves a variety of planned, inclusive, and actively supervised games or activities. Panther Creek High School offers SMART Lunch, an extended, single lunch period for all students. They need movement. Later, I began teaching middle school. They assigned judges, teams, and competed. Important Things to Consider. In 2006, 4% of elementary schools, 8% of middle schools and 2% of high schools in the US provided daily physical education. The pros and cons of schools ditching a long summer break However, if you point out to an educator that a sixth-grader in September who has no recess was a fifth-grader only 4 short months ago who definitely had recess every day, you will get widespread agreement that yes, this line of demarcation between fifth and sixth grades is not only invisible, but irrational. Look into purchasing stability balls; these offer restless students the opportunity to move while working. Gym is different than recess. Bullying and fights break out. 3. Improves students' learning and overall academic achievement. endobj Schools are in a unique position, regardless of learning mode, to help students attain the recommended 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily. Individualized coursespecific strategy instruction for college students with learning disabilities and ADHD: Lessons learned from a model demonstration project. Have we really structured our schools around the principle that these tenets of conventional wisdom no longer apply after this arbitrary milepost has been passed? 0000001888 00000 n Follow an example counselor . For example, every day during our PLR, or Pre-Lunch . In fact, younger students (preschoolers and kindergarteners, in particular) are often given more than one recess period in a day. You have a BIG opportunity to make a . When funding is available, some argue it should be focused on learning environments and materials, not play things. Should Cellphones Be Allowed in School? (16 Pros and Cons) Reducing disruptive behavior in the classroom. First, they claim that recess detracts a child from instructional time. 0000001284 00000 n Honestly, its a miracle any of us survive middle school. Students should have recess in middle school because students spend too much time on the computer, and its is like a big brain break instead of many small ones. Longer Lunch Periods in K-12 schools: Research Summary with References There are hints out there that reintroducing time set aside for play could lead to improved social interactions, more creative and attentive thinking, and improved academic achievement and (sadly, probably of most value in our culture at present) higher test scores. Last year, New Jersey Gov. The combined word count of the paired passages is 1,165 words. Heres What the Research Says. Learn moreabout how these efforts can enhance the play environments at schools by using colorful paint and stencils to create recess games. <>stream As I marched down Marshall . What happened to recess in middle school, and why should we care? Some kids do not get the opportunity to play with their friends outside of the school environment. And in districts where middle school gym class is still available, its often an elective and many students dont even participate. The Pros And Cons Of Recess - 729 Words | 123 Help Me The 2016 Shape of the Nation report by the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE America) provides a snapshot of what recess in the U.S. looks like for adolescents. Sign up for a fitness class together, join the YMCA, or challenge yourselves with martial arts. Pros and Cons of Recess | PDF | Applied Psychology | Cognition - Scribd When playing at recess, kids . - Cell phones can be a distraction in school. It involved fantastically bad hair, holiday-themed color changes to the bands in my clear braces and a closet full of heavily patterned body suits. {sigh}. 40 Junior Year Quotes & Captions to Remind You of Good Times. Best Babysitting Classes & Certifications for Skill & Confidence. Recess plays a crucial role in the development and. Recess helps kids learn better in school - American Heart Association 330 0 obj The Grayson School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, age, or other non-merit factor to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school, nor in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid policies, athletic and other school-administered programs, or employment practices. There could hardly be a better time, developmentally speaking, to provide daily opportunities to experiment, fail, recover, and try again, whether that involves testing social boundaries, trying on new identities, or discovering that an effort that fails is not the end of the world especially if said effort is explicitly part of play and therefore occurs in what is tacitly understood to be a space more free of judgement than the rest of their life, especially at school. MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- When we were growing up, you always had recess after lunch. Currently, recess time is being cut to allow for more instruction in math and reading. His book is titled The Power of Teaching Vulnerably: How Risk-Taking Transforms Student Engagement. 5 min read. behavior in the classroom. And even for the kids who do play after-school sports, seven hours of continuous sitting each day is too long. There is substantial evidence that physical activity can help improve academic achievement, including grades and standardized test scores, the report said. Researchers, policymakers, schools, students, and parents are coming together to weigh in on this debate armed with current research and theories. Pro Recess. :). Rethinking Recess | Harvard Graduate School of Education <>/Border[0 0 0]/Contents( \n h t t p s : / / s c h o l a r w o r k s . <>/Border[0 0 0]/Contents(Health and Physical Education Commons)/Rect[343.8105 215.6906 527.0576 227.4094]/StructParent 9/Subtype/Link/Type/Annot>> An elementary school counselor conducts individual and small-group counseling focusing on mental health, self-esteem, and conflict resolution. CDC and SHAPE America developed the following documents: During the 20202021 school year, four local education agencies (LEAs) and one pilot school in Oklahoma implemented Painted Play Spaces on their campuses, reaching a total of 2,469 students.