Anthony Pellegrini and Catherine Bohn-Gettler actually make the

case that recess helps primary aged children attend better in the

classroom. They also argue that the reduction in recess is a result

of schools' attempts to increase their scores on standardized

assessments.

effects of additional recess as

related to academic achievement.

My school (a 5-6 building) used to

have two recesses a day: one right

after lunch and one in the afternoon.

To avoid another transition time, it

was decided last year that all of the

recess time would be rolled into one

large recess directly after lunch. I am

concerned for two reasons. First, the

afternoons are not very productive

because the students tire easily. Also,

the extended break with their peers

(almost an hour) leads to many discipline

issues and conflicts. I am wondering what

the effects would be if we split up the

recess time into two, or maybe even

three, breaks throughout the day (without

adding extra time to the school day).

of recess for primary school children. The article also sites

a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics which discusses

the physical benefits of recess in light of the obesity epidemic in

America.

number of schools that actually have recess and the number that

do not now because of increased pressure to perform on test. It

also addresses the notion of taking recess away from children with

behavior problems.

conclusions from this research discuss the benefits to not only

having recess, but to having multiple recesses spread apart from

other in the day. The findings of this study show that students who

have multiple recesses with more breaks perform better in the

classroom than those who do not.

The researchers in this study concluded that students perform a

great deal of physical activity during recess (as opposed to sedentary behavior). The researchers also concluded that students were more likely to engage in physical activity if there was good quality playground equipment nearby.