By Katy Farber •
February 26, 2009
I feel in my bones the pressure on teachers. More and more is asked of teachers these days, and heaps of pressure is placed squarely on their shoulders. My upcoming book, Why Great Teachers Quit, will address this among many other concerns facing teachers today.
But having children skip recess should not be part of the solution. I must admit I am guilty of this sometimes. This new article posted at the New York Times health blog, Well, shares information about a new study proving the importance of recess in the behavior, academic success and the health of children.
“New research suggests that play and down time may be as important to a child’s academic experience as reading, science and math, and that regular recess, fitness or nature time can influence behavior, concentration and even grades.”
By Jennifer Lance •
October 27, 2008
I find two trends in education alarming: the growing number of schools that eliminate recess and physical education programs and the large number of children on Ritalin for attention problems. As a teacher, I can’t help but wonder if the attention problems some children experience is due to the structure and expectations of education and life in the 21st century. Children were not designed to just sit at desks all day long without much opportunity for movement and interaction.
A friend of mine, who also happens to be our school nurse, has a son with ADD. This child takes rRitalin during the school year; however, during summer vacation, he is drug free. It is only during the structured, restricted environment of school that this child needs drugs to focus. Given recent research on the subject, I can’t help but believe recess and play matters greatly for all children, especially those suspected of having attention problems.
