Importance of Recess

Study Shows Recess Should be put back into the Swing of Things:

With all of the emphasis on testing it’s easy to forget a part of the school day that a recent study suggests is equally important …recess.

Author of the study and member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Catherine Ramstetter, said that recess breaks as short as 10 minutes have shown to improve children’s learning efficiency during the rest of the school hour.

Ramstetter said that many school districts decreased recess time or dropped it entirely in order to meet testing mandates from the No Child Left Behind Act. While less recess time certainly allows for more academic time, the study shows it might be taking away from a child’s ability to focus in the classroom.

“A child’s attention span begins to wane after forty minutes of intense instruction,” Ramstetter said. “Recess provides children a chance to refocus.”

Ramstetter’s study isn’t the only one suggesting recess should be back in the game. Dr. Romina Barros, pediatrics doctor at a hospital in Brooklyn, N.Y., published a study in the February issue of Pediatrics that also suggested that children who have recess on a regular basis behave better in the classroom.

Both studies show that as much education can be found on the playground as in the classroom. Recess encourages imagination and creativity as well as helps to build social and communicative skills. Physical activity is also important for young children who are still developing movement and motor skills.

At CMoR we understand the importance of play and the benefits it has on a child’s development. We offer our little visitors a safe and fun environment for indoor and outdoor play.

Click here to learn more about how CMoR is encouraging the power or play.

Come by CMoR today where recess is always in session!

To read more about these studies visit Journal News’s article,Study Shows Importance of Recess during School Day and Baby Center’s article, Recess Makes for Better Students.