Less Recess Means Less Focus for Children
Posted
October 24, 2008 at
12:14 pm by
Tricia
Could there be a correlation between increased ADD and ADHD diagnosis and the elimination of recess from elementary schools? According to “Recess or Ritalin” by Lisa Farino for MSN Health & Fitness, research is helping to clearly define the importance of children’s play, and their need for physical activity to help them focus during classroom time.
Apparently we need scientific evidence, lab rats and brain-function experiments to tell us what most parents already know—kids need to be kids, and part of the experience must include physical activity. Every parent who’s spent time chasing a toddler knows there’s no way we can sit a child down, expect her to quietly engage in an activity and focus for exaggerated amounts of time.
With tougher testing standards in place and little time for creative exploration or free play, it’s estimated that 40 percent of elementary schools across the country have cut back on-or have eliminated-recess in the past decade. How can we expect eight-year-olds to sit still, stay focused and to actually learn when they can’t fulfill their natural desire for movement? There are some things that simply can’t be fixed by popping a pill.
Adult education classes incorporate periodic and unstructured breaks. Why? Because we know the brain needs down time to process information. Adult brains tire, and so do children’s. Rather than requiring more and more structure, we need to engage children’s most natural qualities as a means to help them succeed instead of asking them to ignore what comes most natural—their energetic enthusiasm for life.
Tags: ADD, Education, play, Recess, ritalin |
3 Responses to “Less Recess Means Less Focus for Children”
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1. Rita said:
October 24, 2008 @ 12:53 pm
Ironically, most of these changes in our school systems over the years are parent-driven. Parents are the ones who are pushing harder curriculums on the kids and pushing things to go faster and longer. Educators have been opposed to these changes. Study after study proves that this added pressure can actually cause children to be less successful. Parents are the ones who don’t seem to realize this, so they vote in like-minded people to the school boards and alter the school programs over the years. It’s morphed into what we’re seeing now: 1st grade curriculum being pushed onto kindergarteners (who are more and more being pressured into doing all day school instead of half-day, so they can keep up with the increase in requirements), and a decrease in recess while we increase after-school structured programs.
I agree with everything you said, but the source of blame is the parents themselves.
2. Tricia said:
October 24, 2008 @ 1:04 pm
3. Stacey said:
October 24, 2008 @ 3:37 pm
One of the best teachers I ever had was Mr. Foyder in the 6th grade. There was a kid in our class who would totally be labelled ADHD now - he used to make jokes, bark like a dog, etc. Whenever the class, or even this one boy, got too antsy or couldn’t concentrate Mr. Foyder would tell us to close our books and take us outside to play his version of Dodgeball, us lined up against the school and him whipping balls at us.
Looking back now I see he was using two effective tools; physical activity and fear, hee hee.