Students need recess for academic, emotional and physical wellness
By Chandra Madafferi, Michigan Education Association President and CEO
As we shake off the winter blues and welcome the sunshine and warmth of spring, let’s think back to our childhoods and how it felt to go outside for recess in April without a winter coat.
Think of how the sun felt on your face and how the fresh air smelled. After months of frigid temperatures and gray skies, those first weeks of spring were rejuvenating. Everything felt alive, and during recess, a lot of the stress evaporated — if just for a short time.
As a former health teacher and a mom, I’ve tried to teach students and my own children the importance of regular physical activity and how it benefits the mind, body and soul. Many students get that activity through school recess.
Recess is critical for young students’ mental, social, emotional and physical development — but unfortunately, today’s students receive fewer breaks during the school day than in previous generations. Since 2001, the average time a student spends recess has declined by about an hour per week.
Much of the decline in students’ recess time is due to federal policies like the No Child Left Behind Act that have prioritized high-stakes standardized testing. Not only does additional time preparing for a litany of mandated tests mean less opportunity for holistic classroom instruction, it also means fewer opportunities for students to interact with peers, exercise or simply unwind for a few minutes — all critical factors in a student’s overall well-being.
Spending more time on test prep at the expense of recess actually harms students’ cognitive development and academic achievement. Studies show that recess and other scheduled physical activity breaks tend to improve students’ cognitive abilities, academic performance, and math and reading test scores.
It makes perfect sense that getting outside and getting your blood pumping improves your thinking. Many of us try to incorporate a quick walk during the workday because we know it can help clear our minds so we focus better when back on the job — the same logic holds true for students.
Similar to how regular physical activity helps sharpen children’s cognitive abilities, recess also has social, emotional and behavioral benefits for students.
During unstructured playtime, children learn and hone social skills that can serve them a lifetime. They learn how to approach one another in conversation, play games that teach them cooperation, figure out strategies for settling minor disagreements and develop emotional resilience. Regular recess also reduces disruptive student behaviors because it allows them to blow off steam through physical activity, research shows.
Finally, allowing students regular opportunities to partake in physical activity — through both regular recess periods and physical education classes — improves their health and fitness. Kids need at least 60 minutes of aerobic exercise every day to maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life, and recess helps fulfill that critical daily goal. Along the way, students develop healthy habits that can carry on into adulthood.
Only about a dozen states have laws on the books requiring some form of recess, and Michigan is not among them — although the state Department of Education recommends schools provide at least 20 minutes of recess time each day, in addition to physical education. However, about 20% of elementary students in our state receive less than that daily recommendation, according to a recent survey of school administrators.
The Michigan Education Association encourages policymakers to examine this issue and work with frontline educators to develop solutions that would promote regular recess periods for students. In the meantime, we urge school boards and administrators across the state to take a close look at their own schools’ policies and work to ensure our students have time during the day to play and just be kids.
Labor Voices
Labor Voices columns are written on a rotating basis by United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain, Michigan Education Association President Chandra Madafferi, Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights Executive Secretary-Treasurer Tom Lutz and selected Service Employees International Union members.
