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Schoolkids Need Less Work, More Play

Recess cutbacks creating unruly students, researchers discover

By Amelia Atlas, Newser User

Posted Jan 26, 2009 5:13 AM CST

(Newser) – Recess isn't just for fun, according to a new study, which has found that cutting back on playtime is harming schoolchildren. The loss of a 15-minute daily recess tended to make 8- and 9-year-old students unruly and deprived them of an opportunity to exercise and socialize, reports Reuters. The study attributed recess cutbacks to the federal No Child Left Behind program, which has pressured schools to crank up academics.

Recess tends to be even more critical for students from disadvantaged backgrounds because violence in their neighborhoods limits their chances to safely play outdoors at home as well as at school, researchers noted. "Recess may play an important role in the learning, social development, and health of children in elementary school," the research team concluded.

[Images (3)]

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An empty playground at Center Elementary School in Waycross, Ga. (AP Photo/Steve Cannon)

Researchers have found that recess is linked to better behavior in the classroom and allows kids important time to exercise and socialize. (PRNewsFoto/The International Playground Equipment Manufacturers Association)

Eugene "Wildcat" Edgerson of the Harlem Globetrotters recently coached schoolkids at Hollywood Hills Elementary School in Florida. Such free time is a key part of the school day, say researchers. (AP Photo/Ginny Dixon)

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For many of these children, recess periods may be the only opportunity for them to practice their social skills with other children. - Albert Einstein College of Medicine study

[M]any school districts responded to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 by reducing time committed to recess, the creative arts, and even physical education in an effort to focus on reading and mathematics. - Albert Einstein College of Medicine study

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Schoolkids Need Less Work, More Play