Not All Fun and Games: New Guidelines Urge Schools to Rethink Recess

Submitted by Judy Hanning on Fri, 2017-03-10 04:00
Recently SHAPE America and the CDC have released new guidelines to assist schools design optimal recess time. Is there a best time to schedule recess? Should recess take place before or after lunch? How many times in a day should recess occur? What should schools do if it rains? Is taking away recess an effective punishment for inappropriate behavior?

Those are just a few of the issues addressed in new guidelines designed to help schools have good recess.

These guidelines stress that recess shouldn’t be viewed as just free time for students and down time for educators. According to research in this area, recess is a very important part of a student’s day. Scheduled play time can help students focus in class, prevents bullying, and helps children develop important social and emotional life skills.
The recommendations come from a group called SHAPE (Society of Health and Physical Educators) America and from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The guidelines seek to impress on schools that recess isn’t just downtime for educators or playtime for students.
~ National Public Radio

Key Takeaways:

1
Teachers use recesses to punish children.
2
SHAPE (Society of Health and Physical Educators) is an advocate and does research on physical activity and its effect on learning.
3
Recesses help children pay attention, it prevents bullying, and their social skills are tested.
Read the full article here:
http://www.readingrockets.org/news/not-all-fun-and-games-new-guidelines-urge-schools-rethink-recess