chapter 6 Recess

What Is Recess? Recess is a child’s break in the school day. Recess should provide an opportunity for active and free play. Recess provides an unstructured break, giving children discretionary time to engage in physical activity.

Benefits of Recess An avenue for alleviating health problems associated with physical inactivity An opportunity to practice motor skills An avenue for developing social skills –Cooperation –Problem solving –Sharing and taking turns –Following rules –Communication and negotiation –Conflict resolution (continued)

Benefits of Recess (continued) Contributes to cognitive development –Use of creativity and imagination –Provides settling time for content taught in class –Provides an unstructured break to aid in classroom attention and focus –Improves learning—physically active and healthy children learn better (continued)

Benefits of Recess (continued) Decreases classroom management problems –Having children focus for hours at a time is not an easy task. –After recess breaks, students are more on task and less fidgety. Contributes to overall well-being –Reduces stress and tension –Provides exposure to the outdoors –May be the one unstructured time for some children

Recess Is a Right Schools should not eliminate recess from the school program. Recess should not be used just as a privilege. Students punished by being excluded from recess are typically the very ones who need recess the most. Teachers need to find ways to enforce classroom expectations other than eliminating recess.

National Recommendations for Recess At least one 20-minute period of recess should be scheduled daily for all elementary children. Recess is not a substitute for physical education. Recess should be scheduled on physical education days, but not back-to-back with PE. Students should not be denied recess. Adequate and safe spaces and facilities should be provided. Developmentally appropriate equipment should be provided for play. (continued)

National Recommendations for Recess (continued) Positive social skills should be taught and enforced. Activities should be child directed, with adults intervening only when a child’s physical or emotional health is at risk. Safety rules should be taught and enforced. Bullying and aggressive behavior should not be allowed. Equipment and facilities should be checked regularly for safety. Recess should be supervised by qualified adults.

Encouraging Active Play Make sure every child has an equipment option. Help an inactive child find someone to play with. Help an inactive child find something she or he likes to do. Teach children games they can organize themselves. Provide plenty of balls, hoops, ropes, and so on to promote play. Provide a variety of large playground apparatus. Reinforce children who are being active.

Scheduling Recess Recess should not be back-to-back with physical education. Before lunch is better than after lunch. Control the number of classes out at one time. Time should be appropriate.

Increasing Physical Activity at Recess Teach children playground games. Make sure apparatus is ample and age appropriate. Take out manipulative equipment for play (e.g., various balls, hoops, ropes). Draw permanent markings on paved play areas: –Hopscotch –Four Square –Basketball lanes –Volleyball courts (continued)

Increasing Physical Activity at Recess (continued) Designate play areas: –Jump rope activities –Kicking games –Basketball –Tag games –Tetherball –Four Square

Playground Supervision Most accidents on the playground are due to improper supervision. To prevent this, schools should –develop policies for active supervision, –establish schoolwide recess rules for appropriate behavior, and –teach and enforce appropriate student behavior in positive ways.

Active Supervision Supervisors should be actively moving around the play area and visually scanning. Use proximity control to disrupt or defuse a potential problem. Know how children of different age groups play. All supervisors should be trained in playground safety and accident prevention.

Playground Rules One set of playground rules should be established by the physical activity committee to be used schoolwide. The rules should be taught to all children. Schoolwide playground rules should be posted at doors exiting to play areas. They should be enforced at recess as well as during before- and after-school play.

Teaching and Enforcing Appropriate Student Behavior Clearly communicate expectations. Teach responsible behavior. Teach children to resolve conflicts. Establish and enforce rules about bullying.

Figure 6.2