Why Bother With Recess?

"The decision to limit or eliminate the unstructured play afforded by a recess period may detract from students' ability to focus on the very subjects we use to measure success," claim Cynthia Elder and Michael Obel-Omia in their Education Week article, "Why Bother With Recess?" (May 9, 2012). 

"Today's schools and educators are facing enormous pressures to achieve.  The stakes are high.  Many of the jobs current elementary students will fill as adults do not yet exist or will be completely re-envisioned by the time they enter the workforce. 

"Ironically, in an effort to prepare our students for these future challenges, schools have made decisions that may weaken our children's social, emotional, intellectual and physical health, while crippling their ability to think creatively, gain self-confidence, and work collaboratively."

"Recess is a valuable component of a child's time in school, a time when students can collect themselves, recharge their batteries, and challenge themselves in a different setting.  And yet, recess is often excised from the curriculum as unnecessary....  As of 2009, 30% of the nation's elementary schools had done away with recess altogether.  Of those that maintained recess, 40 percent cut it back significantly.  If current trends continue, recess may soon be a thing of the past for our students."

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