With the new school year upon us, a national non-profit is urging families to add an important task to their already-full plate: reviewing the state of recess at their child’s school.
Playworks, which operates a nationally recognized program that helps elementary schools transform their recess and playtime from periods of chaos and conflict to a safe and healthy experience, says that recess is a critical part of the school day that is often overlooked by schools and parents alike.
“So many schools are trying hard to improve their school climate,” says Jill Vialet, CEO and Founder of Playworks. “They’re looking to boost grades and test scores, stop bullying and violent behavior, lower absenteeism and enhance kids’ attitudes towards school overall. What they may not realize is the role that recess can play in reaching those goals – or conversely, the role it plays in making them more difficult to achieve.”
Citing several studies, as well as anecdotal evidence from hundreds of school administrators and teachers across the country, Vialet points out that most discipline problems and injuries happen on the playground during recess, and that these problems can have significant repercussions. Many schools have considered reducing recess or even eliminating it altogether because of incidents that occur during this time.
Poor recess experience spills into the classroom
“When bad things happen on the playground – when kids get into fights, bully or exclude other students, or exclude themselves because they don’t feel comfortable participating – the result is an unhealthy experience that spills over to the classroom,” Vialet says. “Kids return to class angry, frustrated and unable to focus on the academic work at hand. Moreover, it can contribute to students having more negative feelings towards school itself.”
The answer, Vialet says, is to give at least as much attention to recess as is given to the rest of the school day. By having designated and well-trained recess staff, schools can design a well-run recess that provides a choice of activities, gives kids a set of rules that discourages bullying and exclusionary behavior, and teaches important life skills such as conflict resolution, teamwork and empathy.
Playworks has created a recess and play program that is used in more than 900 schools throughout the U.S. Research conducted by Stanford University and Mathematica Policy Research reports that in the Playworks schools examined, bullying decreased, children felt safer, there was more vigorous physical activity, and teachers gained eight minutes of quality classroom time each day.
“Unlike when most of us were kids, many children today just don’t have the same opportunity to learn how to play,” noted Vialet. “We had more free time, safer streets, and older neighbors and siblings teaching us the rules. Today’s kids need a little help along the way.”
Hoping that parents will take a good look at recess this year, Playworks has developed a series of key questions so that they can assess the quality of recess at their child’s school.
