It is 10:30 a.m. Elementary school children race out of the doors into the playground, yelling and cheering. At the same time, middle school kids sit at their desks and wonder what happened to recess, which seems like a distant memory to them. Many middle school students agree that recess should become part of their daily academic schedule. First of all, recess will help students stay active and healthy. In addition, recess provides social benefits to students. Finally, the Finnish school system, which has always been ranked highly, incorporates many recesses, which helps students maximize their academic achievement. However, many American schools have removed recess from their students’ schedules. Why should schools keep these many benefits
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The article, “Do You Need Recess?” by Mackenzie Carro, states, “The American Association of Pediatrics recommends that children spend at least 60 minutes per day being physically active.” However, the article continues, many students cannot “carve out that much time” between their other activities like “extracurriculars, homework, and family obligations.” Because many middle schoolers’ daily schedules are packed with many activities, incorporating recess into students’ schedules will help them get enough time for exercise, which opens up more health benefits for them. For example, recess can help decrease rates of obesity, which have been increasing rapidly in this day and age. According to the article, “Middle School Recess” by Valorie Delp, “The rate of obesity for children ages 10 to 15 has doubled in the last twenty years. The obesity rate for teens has tripled.” In her article, Delp suggests that “kids need to be encouraged to move more.” Adding recess is a great way to get children moving, and the physical activity they do would go a long way to combat obesity. To sum up, giving students recess as part of their day helps the children get enough time being physically active and fights increasing obesity …show more content…
Recess time helps students improve their social skills. This is mentioned in the article, “Recess: Necessity or Nicety?”, which states, “Middle school kids are learning to socialize as adolescents. They need to try out various roles, and school is a safe environment.” Even though students are away from the classroom during recess, other skills are learned on the playground. Learning to socialize is an important life skill that cannot be learned while sitting at a desk. In addition, the article, “How Finland Keeps Kids Focused Through Free Play” by Timothy D. Walker, states, “During these times [recess], they not only rest and recharge—they also learn to cooperate, communicate, and compromise, all skills they need to succeed academically as well as in life.” These social skills learned during recess are important because they can only be learned through free play, not structured activities. To illustrate, the article, “Middle School Recess”, states, “Many social graces are learned on the playground. While Physical Education classes provide a sequential and developmental instructional program for physical fitness, recess allows children to play, make up rules and have choices.” Therefore, despite the fact that Physical Education classes provide similar health benefits as recess, PE is not a true replacement for recess because other social skills can only be learned during unstructured play time, not scheduled exercise.
The article, “Do You Need Recess?” by Mackenzie Carro, states, “The American Association of Pediatrics recommends that children spend at least 60 minutes per day being physically active.” However, the article continues, many students cannot “carve out that much time” between their other activities like “extracurriculars, homework, and family obligations.” Because many middle schoolers’ daily schedules are packed with many activities, incorporating recess into students’ schedules will help them get enough time for exercise, which opens up more health benefits for them. For example, recess can help decrease rates of obesity, which have been increasing rapidly in this day and age. According to the article, “Middle School Recess” by Valorie Delp, “The rate of obesity for children ages 10 to 15 has doubled in the last twenty years. The obesity rate for teens has tripled.” In her article, Delp suggests that “kids need to be encouraged to move more.” Adding recess is a great way to get children moving, and the physical activity they do would go a long way to combat obesity. To sum up, giving students recess as part of their day helps the children get enough time being physically active and fights increasing obesity …show more content…
Recess time helps students improve their social skills. This is mentioned in the article, “Recess: Necessity or Nicety?”, which states, “Middle school kids are learning to socialize as adolescents. They need to try out various roles, and school is a safe environment.” Even though students are away from the classroom during recess, other skills are learned on the playground. Learning to socialize is an important life skill that cannot be learned while sitting at a desk. In addition, the article, “How Finland Keeps Kids Focused Through Free Play” by Timothy D. Walker, states, “During these times [recess], they not only rest and recharge—they also learn to cooperate, communicate, and compromise, all skills they need to succeed academically as well as in life.” These social skills learned during recess are important because they can only be learned through free play, not structured activities. To illustrate, the article, “Middle School Recess”, states, “Many social graces are learned on the playground. While Physical Education classes provide a sequential and developmental instructional program for physical fitness, recess allows children to play, make up rules and have choices.” Therefore, despite the fact that Physical Education classes provide similar health benefits as recess, PE is not a true replacement for recess because other social skills can only be learned during unstructured play time, not scheduled exercise.