Recess is a critical part of a child’s education

Jennifer Dunne and Matt Wood

This is a repost of an article written by Jennifer Dunne and Matt Wood for the Seattle Times on March 5, 2023

We’ve all seen what happens when children don’t get their wiggles out: Grocery store meltdowns, classroom outbursts and many tears. We all know the solution is simple: Children need time to play. As educators, we see children struggling to sit still at desks in our classes every day. Too often, kids with insufficient breaks to move their bodies can’t learn, become distracted or distract other students, resulting in behavior challenges.

In our combined 30-plus years in education, much has changed. School went from kids enjoying engaging lessons and receiving three recesses a day to slogging at an institution aiming to create strong test takers. When adults reduce recess time in order for kids to spend more time sitting at desks with scripted lessons, learning becomes monotonous and kids check out, resulting in a loss of learning.

For example, it’s not unusual to have students with difficulty learning and low self-esteem who dislike school but thrive during recess. Many students have challenging behaviors that stem from poor academics and a lack of movement. During recess, these same students thrive as team leaders and athletes, making school more enjoyable and giving them higher self-esteem. Highlighting positive attributes of the students like these helps them be more successful overall.

Some schools let recess and lunch compete for time, telling students they can play after they eat. Students should not be forced to gobble down lunch (or skip lunch) to ensure they have enough time to play. Recess needs its own dedicated time.

And too often, recess is wrongly used as a tool for discipline. Holding kids out of recess for bad behavior in a classroom robs students of positive physical activity that improves their health and leads to improved behavior in the classroom. This can damage their self-esteem and impede their academic success. Students, especially those furthest away from educational justice and students who aren’t “achieving” like their peers, benefit significantly from recess because all kids have talents!

Unfortunately, the amount of recess students receive across the state varies district by district and even school by school. We’ve seen schools struggling to improve standardized test scores cut back on recesses to provide more instructional time. Classroom educators know this isn’t an effective strategy. Lack of movement and peer interaction takes away more instructional time than an additional 15 minutes of recess because of managing little bodies and minds to do things most adults cannot do in their normal workday.

Recess should not be viewed as a privilege or an optional part of the day. It is a critical part of a child’s education. The state recognizes that by considering it part of students’ instructional minutes. Sadly, students in schools that are predominantly students of color as well as in low-income schools often receive less recess and are more likely to be denied recess as punishment. We need to ensure every student has the freedom to play.

We hope teachers will be heard and trusted. We are with students 180 days a year and manage behavior and academics. Expecting kids to be proficient without meeting their basic needs is inappropriate.

That’s why we support legislation that ensures all students have access to the essential learning at recess. Senate Bill 5257 and House Bill 1504, which ensure students get equal access to recess, have broad bipartisan support and provide a significant first step in addressing the mental and physical health needs of students.

It’s time to guarantee equitable school recess to make sure every student has the break they need to move and grow.

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Recess is a critical part of a child’s education

This is a repost of an article written by Jennifer Dunne and Matt Wood for the Seattle Times on March 5, 2023

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Recess is a critical part of a child’s education

This is a repost of an article written by Jennifer Dunne and Matt Wood for the Seattle Times on March 5, 2023

All Furniture, Labs and Equipment are provided by Action Based Learning

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