Self-Regulation in Toddlers and Preschoolers

In the past ten years there has been a trend in many elementary schools toward banning recess. Many new elementary schools are even being built without playgrounds and one school superintendent was quoted to say "We are intent on improving academic performance. You don't do that by having kids hanging on the monkey bars." In 2006 it was said that nearly 40% of elementary schools no longer offered recess to students. Most teachers these days have been under pressure to push academics and raise standardized test scores, thus eliminating activities such as gym and recess seemed like an easy way to increase the amount of time spent learning in the classroom. But, is this strategy working? Many child development professionals beg to differ.

Recess Develops Social Skills

Children, just as adults, need down time and breaks during their "work" day in order to function to the best of their ability. As adults we do not complete our work days without taking several breaks and children should not be asked to do so either. Remember the old adage "a child's work is his play"? Recent studies have concluded that children who do not get recess during the school day are much more restless in the classroom. But, recess does a lot more than just alleviate the fidgits. Recess allows children to develop important social skills with their peers in an unstructured way outside the classroom. They learn cooperation, teamwork, sharing and patience. They learn to resolve differences and sort out friendships. Recess is more than just free play time, it can build character and improve self esteem. Many children move from the classroom straight to structured adult directed after school activities such as sports or dance/music lessons and without recess they never have the ability to develop these critical skills.

Recess Can Lead to Higher Test Scores

Recess helps kids burn off extra energy and actually helps rather than hurts their classroom performance. In 2005 the California Department of Education conducted a study that showed that children who are physically active score higher on the Stanford Achievement Test. So if this is really true, then schools that are eliminating recess in order to increase class time and raise standardized test scores may actually be doing more harm than good.

Recess can also aid in giving kids who are "couch potatoes" due to sitting in front of video games, tv or the computer at home, the exercise time they need each day in order to ward off childhood obesity.

Child development experts seem to agree that quantity of classroom time is not more important than quality of classroom time, so instead of cutting recess to allow for an extra half hour in class, the focus should shift to improving the curriculum and quality of lessons taught.

Think of all the great things YOU learned as a child on the playground and what your child might be missing if he is not playing dodge ball or hanging on the monkey bars!