Recess: forgotten, neglected, crossed off, or hidden.

Dear Colleagues,

I have been wondering about recess and the daily school curriculum for children and youth attending public and private schools. From my casual but regular observations, I have noticed that no matter what time I drive or walk by elementary or middle schools throughout my county or state, I do not see or hear children and youth on the playgrounds. The voices, laughter, screams, and running feet of children have faded into the playground surfaces and structures. I wondered whether recess had been forgotten, neglected crossed off, or hidden as an integral component of the elementary or middle school curriculum.

In order to begin uncovering tidbits of information regarding the status of recess in elementary and middle schools, I queried a variety of people. Adisalem Assefa, a 1st-grade teacher at the Orchard School (a pre-kindergarten to 8th grade private school), indicates that they have daily scheduled recess periods for all grades and her class has regularly scheduled morning and afternoon outdoor recess, weather permitting. Cary Buzzelli, Indiana University professor and father of a 5th-grader attending a college town public school, shares that his son has 20-25 minutes daily for recess after lunch and that recess is sometimes withheld for discipline reasons.

Responding from a large midwest suburban district, Judy Fraps, Grant Coordinator of Extended Learning and 1997 Indiana State Teacher of the Year, indicated that all elementary schools in her district include 20-25 minutes daily for recess, while the secondary schools had no recess. The elementary schools have developmentally appropriate playgrounds for primary, intermediate, and special needs children. Aaron I Parsons, a 1st-grade teacher at Briarglen Elementary, a suburban school in Tulsa, Oklahoma, reports that elementary students have recess for 15 minutes and secondary students do not have any "official" recess. An interesting strategy of this district is the freedom to have extra recesses, if the teachers deem them necessary during the school day.

Turning to urban schools, I discovered significant differences in views regarding recess. At the Key Learning Community (KLC) in Indianapolis, a kindergarten to 12th-grade multiple intelligences school, recess is integrated into the curriculum. Students have daily outdoor play periods as well as choices for recess time. No student spends time inside completing unfinished class assignments during recess, according to Principal Christine Kunkel. For other large elementary and middle schools, the teachers cannot take the students outside because the principals view recess and scheduled outdoor play as reducing the available instructional time and not connected to the standards set forth by the No Child Left Behind Act. In another urban school, Lisa Hedges, graduate student and mother of two children, requested that her daughters and the other children not be punished for failing to finish their work in time by being denied recess. Victory for responding to the needs of children!

Wondering about recess in other countries, I consulted with individuals from Korea and Taiwan to examine similarities and differences. Eun Mee, an advanced graduate student in early childhood education, reported that elementary and secondary schools in Korea have big playgrounds and huge sandlots for running and physical education but not actually for recess. At the elementary level, recess is definitely an optional activity--a time for playing with friends after lunch. Recess is not included for secondary students because the focus is on studying for standardized tests. Unfortunately, even at the elementary level, students do not go outside often.

According to Chiahui, a recently graduated Ph.D. student from Taiwan school-age children in suburban Taiwan have a 10-20 minute break between each class. Typically, there are four classes in the morning and three to five classes in the afternoon. Elementary students can choose to play outside during these breaks, taking advantage of the gross motor equipment, or they can stay in their classrooms. Secondary students usually choose to stay inside to study more for the standardized tests. At the elementary level, it is unusual to find a Taiwanese school where children don't go outside each day?

As I reflect upon the discoveries about recess from schools around the world, I am inclined to ask my colleagues to think about these statements and questions:

* The brain can only endure as much as the bottom can endure. Do children and youth deserve to have fresh air and outside physical activity daily?

* Think of ways to take recess off the forgotten, neglected, crossed off, or hidden list. What are the high costs to children, youth, and educators when recess is missing from the school success formula?

* When planning for new schools, think of recess as a major priority. How can we keep or include recess as a part of the new or renovated building plans?

* If educating the whole child is the number one goal of educators and the larger community, how do we learn from others worldwide in terms of responding to accountability, while using recess as an anchor for inviting school success and increasing everyone's happiness?

If educators would form alliances with other groups to advocate for the restoration of recess to the preschool to grade 12 programs, we would benefit from improved school climates and increased happiness for all students, and educators too. Please join me in exploring the extensive benefits of recess in the lives of our students and their teachers. Our willingness to be proactive rather than reactive will support our ability to be effective advocates of children, youth, and educators. Stay tuned!

Warmest regards,

Jacqueline Blackwell

[e-mail] or 317.274.6830