Extinction Of Recess The Mental, Physical And Emotional Impact Of Having Constructed Daily Breaks From Instruction

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Extinction of Recess: The Mental, Physical and Emotional Impact of Having Constructed Daily

Breaks from Instruction.

Recess is considered an important element of the schools’ curriculum that should be

implemented in all schools. Most states in the United States are passing laws that are allowing

schools to implement recess upon witnessing its benefits. Not only does recess helps in

promoting academic excellence, it also facilitates improved communication, social, cognitive

and health development. Research also shows that implementing recess is not costly and most

schools have an opportunity of getting help from education and health organizations. The paper

will address various benefits of recess, how the policy will be running and key constituencies.

Also, finally, it will look into some of the common critiques that are associated with recess.

Importance of Recess

Normally, children develop cognitive understanding and intellectual construct through

manipulative and interactive experiences. Hence, this type of experience is connected by play in

an unstructured environment. The period of cognitive processing is also considered as an aspect

towards interruption especially after the period of concentrated instruction. Through unstructured

break, the benefits of the interruptions can easily be manifested during childhood. Research

shows that recess when performed in both outdoor and indoor environment, it facilitates attention

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in children and thus becoming more productive at school. Also, students’ ability to focus

cognitively can be stimulated by more breaks from class activities compared to the mode of

activities that are likely to occur during the break. Also, any other kind of activities that are

introduced at recess is considered to benefit cognitive performance later. Also, the benefit of

applying recess and periodic breaks in academics are considered to optimize cognitive

processing equally for both adolescents and young children (Jarrett et al. 183-184).

Additionally, recess is significant in K-12 schools since it promotes social and emotional

learning. The development of emotional and social learning is as a result of the time given to

children to engage in peer interactions where they as well practice and role play. Often,

educators ensure that there is adult supervision that will extend teaching in the classrooms to

connect with the school’s social climate. Furthermore, during recess children play and thus

develops communication, problem-solving and sharing skills (Barros, 433). Communication

skills help young children to learn and thus develop mature means of dealing with others

effectively even when they grow into young adults. Besides, they also acquire coping skills that

help them to have self-control and perseverance. Also, skills that are acquired during recess are

very important tools that help children to cope with stressful environments. Furthermore, through

adapting to a difficult school environment, children can easily extend their cognitive

development in the classroom (Jarret et al. 184).

Moreover, recess in schools helps in promoting healthy living through physical activities.

There is the need for physical activity and fitness among young people especially those in school

since they are at the peak of growing up. Also, the benefit of physical activity and fitness are also

witnessed in academic and social maturation. However, despite the fact that not all children at

recess will get involved in vigorous playing activities, there will also be a number of them that

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will have an opportunity of being active in the mode of practicing movement and motor skills

(Schwartz, 65). Similarly, through incorporating recess in schools, children will be able to afford

any activities they want and as well have fun. Research shows that during recession, minor

movements also facilitate a counterbalance in terms of the sedimentary time at school and home

thus helps in achieving the recommended 60 minutes on a day for children to engage in vigorous

activities. (Finn, 14). Additionally, vigorous activities during recess are supported by American

Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) since it helps in lowering risk of obesity (Jarret et al. 184). Also,

physical activities for young children helps in cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength,

improved mental health, bone health and metabolic health (Ramstetter et al 519). Studies also

show that students that are more fit and engages in physical activities reported better scores in

their academic test compared to those that do not engage in fitness activities. Hence, physical

exercise is tied to academic performance.

Cost

In terms of cost, the program will cost effective since it involves school introducing

fitness activities and exercise at a low cost. The interventions relative to their costs are facilitated

towards informing funding decisions and health care policy. Additionally, with recession,

funding decisions are facilitated by the prosperity of a nation or health system and the

incremental value that will be obtained in the intervention. Furthermore, since recess is an

activity that promotes help, most of the schools are likely to get funds and help from health care

organizations that support fitness and exercise. Besides, schools have an opportunity of

introducing simple and cheap playthings such as riding toys, jump ropes, balls and hula hoops.

Studies reveal that both schools and daycare do not need expensive playground equipment for

them to implement recess and keep kids active. Similarly, they can overcome the barrier of

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buying expensive structures by eliminating the mindsets that bring an expensive picture when

they hear the word playground (Sutherland, 66).

Also, according to Ramstetter et al (517-525), expensive structures that range between

$50,000-150,000 on playgrounds is not often considered as expenditure when the school intends

to get students moving on school playgrounds. Also, stationary equipment, such as balance beam

and the climbing structures are considered to be connected to low-intensity physical activities but

are also important in other aspects of growth including social and motor skills. Additional to that

recess is cost-effective because, children learn as they play and teachers do not have to spend

money on incorporating other learning experiences. Teachers today, can incorporate letters into

the school playground thus that helping in creating reading skills. Also, with activities such as

skipping and jumping, the school helps in facilitating efforts towards improvement in language

arts, mathematics and geography. Most schools have introduced low cost and effective recess

sessions that incorporates imagination playgrounds with few fixed structures. The playgrounds

are also structured in a way that there is a large area of sand with water play and moveable

building blocks. Also, there the option of introducing portable play things during recess where

teachers can be buying them and bringing them to play on a daily basis so that students can use

their imagination with balls, pails and sticks. The method is considered a low cost activity since

educators only send money on providing a composite structure designed to contain play within a

small area (Sutherland, 64).

Implementation Feasibility

In certain schools introducing 60 minutes of daily recess activities such as exercise,

fitness and other playing activities in schools can be difficult. However, 10-20 minutes is

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considered as a reasonable estimate for the amount of moderate and vigorous intensity of

physical education during recess. In the United States, lack of physical education and recess

policies are as a result of the time barriers. Additionally, due to disparities, there are various

cases associated with socioeconomic status and ethnicities issues in the implementation of the

policies. Thus, not all students get access to appropriate facilities, quality physical education, and

opportunities for recess. Currently, the government and other organizations that are supporting

recess have made it possible for it to be implemented in many schools. Besides, they have strived

to implement important policy initiatives that are shaping the culture of recess in schools (Gray

et al. 86). As a result of reshaping physical education and recess policies, they have managed to

as well improve human capital in various ways. Recess policies are introduced in a manner

where there is clear information on how they are implemented, executed and enforced in schools.

Educators and other organizations are in support of recess in schools since they understand that it

promotes health and wellness of students. Research also shows that through mandating physical

activities during recess, there has been a tremendous school-based PA for children and the

youths. Moreover, those schools that have either district or state laws that support recess in at

least 150 min per week of physical education showed to be almost 3 times more likely to meet

the recommended recess standards (Ramstetter et al 520).

Political Pressures

Recess policies ensure that educators use appropriate intervention models based on

comprehensive school physical activity program or the whole community. Also, it positively

impacts children and adolescents physical activity behaviors in both outside and inside schools.

It is usually important to embrace the mains s points in implementing the program including the

targeted strategies and specific rather than ignoring them in creating more recess opportunities.

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There are as well organizations such as the Presidential Youth Fitness Program that was

introduced in 2013 and have helped many schools and educators through the provision of grants

and online resources on recess. For example in states such as Texas, they have introduced school

health advisory council that is responsible for evaluating how well the school is implanting the

recess policies. As a result, a majority of students in Texas are always looking forward towards

recess since they are used to it and have been introduced to them since they were young. Also,

SHAC is involved in the parents’ representatives and school improvement team towards

facilitating the recess policies. There is as well statewide fitness testing in the state of Texas

where there is the provision of recess policy and implementation in a positive manner. In 2007,

the state introduced Texas Senate Bill 530 that implemented standards for the amount of required

physical education at all grade levels in schools. It required students in Texas from third grade to

the 12th grade to at least ensure that they have completed a FITNESSGRAMw assessment. It

was also implemented as unfunded mandate and hence the state ensured that they raised at least

$3 million in private schools. There are training Fitnessgram software that helps schools in Texas

to enforce programs that are effective in recess activities. Alternatively, toady school policies

require children to access recess and enough time is being scheduledd daily to facilitate play

activities (APP, 183).

In states such as Miami, there are rules that were implemented to enforce a least 30

minutes of daily physical education in all elementary schools. The district created a template in

all the school schedules that enable them to help students meet the state requirement that

involves at least a 150 minutes of physical education. They as well double-dose subjects such as

math and reading in their schedule to assist the underperforming students. In the school

schedules, there is as well time that is allowed for recess without necessarily having to do away

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with subjects such as music and arts at the expense of daily physical education. Hence, it is

possible to schedule activities that are beneficial to schools and for student to enhance learning

and health with the time that is available during a school day (137). The state also recommends

that schools should submit a report to the district by the end of the month to show that they have

been providing at least 30 minutes recess on a daily basis to students. Since schools are to submit

schedules and recess blocks, it makes it impossible for them to forget about activities such as

fitness and exercise. Research shows that often the school day gets busy and thus making it easy

to forget about recess. Introducing recess to all students gives them protection that they at least

30 minutes daily to completely relax and be children without being responsible for anything at

that moment. Additionally, teachers also get to have a break and go out to have fresh air out of

the classroom. Teachers learn to see how children get to be themselves during recess, overhear

their cute conversations and learn about them more (Sutherland, 65).

How the Policy will be introduced

Information on the School Recess plan

Some of the information that will be included in the school recess plan will include the

school not allowing the replacement of physical education with recess and the use of recess to

meet time requirements for the physical education policies. Besides, the school will provide to all

the staff members that are supervising recess with professional development as a way of

promoting recess in a positive manner. The recess plan will have information on how they will

prohibit the use of physical activities as a way of punishing students. Students will have to

understand that recess is not a punishment but rather beneficial to them in case of social,

academic and health development. They will as well provide students with adequate equipment

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and facilities for recess. The facilities and spaces that are set for recess will be under the

recommended safety standards thus avoiding any accidents. They will also not allow any student

that will want to be excluded from recession without any medical reason. Finally, the recess plan

will ensure that recess is done before lunch.

The first step in introducing the recess policy involves studying the policy and put it into

writing. Also, educators can contract with clients and other stakeholders that will be involved in

the implementation of the policy and thus find out their opinion regarding the policy. Also, some

other high-level policy that already exists in the organization such as the corporate standard can

be and give their idea regarding the recess policy. In addition to that, the school implementing

the recess policy will have to information on the requirements from ISO 27001 so that they can

easily comply with those standards. Then all the stakeholders that are involved in the

introduction of the policy will have to attend meeting that will explain what the policy is about

and how it will help the school and students. Also, all the stakeholders in the implementation of

the recess program will be explained on how the policy will improve recess in the school and

meet all the problems that arose as a result of lack of recess in the school (Cooper et al. 133-

140).

The second step involves taking into account the risk assessment that will identify the

issues that need to be addressed in the school recess plan. Also, besides that it is important to

emphasize on the information will be classified according to its confidentiality, and thus the need

for three or four levels of confidentiality. Policies such as ISO 9001 requires organizations to at

least have to identify at what extent the program is vital to the quality management and hence

decide if it will be documented (Lounsbery et al. 138). Furthermore, the document containing

the policy will have to be optimized and aligned. Thus, if the document containing the plan has

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10 pages, it is important to align it according to how it will be managed easily. Issues of

redundancy are also important to be avoided to make it easier for teachers to grab the main

message in the recess policy document without feeling that issues are being repeated. After the

document has been written it is vital to make the document be approved by the relevant

authorities. Also, people that are not ranking manager in the school organization have no power

in enforcing the document. A high ranking manager normally reads the document and

understands it before approving it (Siedentop, 168-180).

Moreover, training employees especially teachers is part of the process of introducing the

recess policy in schools. Research shows that training is probably the most important step and is

not supposed to be ignored. Therefore, it is very important to explain to employees why such a

policy is vital to the organization and for the students as well. Besides, it is not advisable for the

management to assume that every employee possesses the skill to implement new activities.

Most of the time in schools individuals that survive recess are classroom teachers, hence schools

have to ensure that the classroom teachers are trained and as well add other trained staff in the

group. Training also helps in guiding teachers in following the established protocols for what

normally occurs during recess (Siedentop, 168-180). Some of the protocols that educators

conducting recess are supposed to learn includes managing equipment, handling disciplinary

problems and teaching new games to students. Also, with regard to medical emergencies training

helps to teach educators on how to handle cases of emergency effectively. Some of the cases of

emergencies are food allergies, injuries, and asthma attacks. Moreover, training is vital since

they provide direction on who is supposed to design the training and as well identify ways in

which educators can with the school office in a case of emergency (Cooper et al. 133-140).

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Moreover, in the introduction of the policy, there are other factors such as duration and

timing of recess that will be considered. Educators introducing the policy will have to ensure that

time and duration of recess varies with age, grade, buildings and school district. Educators that

are working in elementary schools will have to offer lunch-time recess only after the children

have taken lunch. Hence, the policy is supposed to make tight rules that will help elementary

schools to adopt “Recess Before Lunch” concept that will begin from studies that will look into

food waste by students in relation to the timing of their recess. Having recess before lunch is not

appropriate since it leads to students spending more time for lunch and less food become wasted.

Research shows that during meal time there is usually an improvement in their behaviors thus

positive energy during recess. Timing and the type of activities that are being introduced during

recession are very significant and can facilitate many benefits that come with recession in

children. There is also the need for setting regular schedules of recess that are based on the

national guideline despite not having a length of the recess period. Hence, part of the

recommendations will include incorporating a recess that ranges between 20-60 minutes on a

daily basis. However, countries such as Japan have a recess time that ranges between 10-15-

minute break per hour. Also, for schools to maximize cognitive benefits, they supposed to

schedule recess at regular intervals hence giving children time to regain their focus before

instruction continues (APP, 185-186).

The final step is the enforcement step where the authority will have to assure that

compliance is achieved with the program. Also, they have to assure that the policy and the

procedures introduced are working as desired and they are in a position to see that all the

consequences are applied fairly to every step. Thus, the management will provide adequate

physical activity equipment as part of their implementation process. Also, markings will be

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added to physical activity areas and playgrounds as a way of creating physical activity zones.

Educators will be presented with a planned activities on a daily basis and a combination of recess

strategies. Also, the school community will be engaged to support recess through establishing

roles and responsibilities that are meant to supervise recess. Also, they will mobile all the parents

with children in the schools and other school community to support and sustain recess at school.

Similarly, students’ will be involved in leading and planning recess (Sibley & Jennifer, 243-246).

Constituents of Recess policy

1. Educators

2. Volunteers

3. Students

4. Parents

5. Sponsors and donors

6. Education and healthcare organizations

7. Schools’ Management

Furthermore, Individuals such as donors and the state authorities will need to be

persuaded to be part of the projects. Donors can be persuaded through being accountable of the

recess policy program. Thus, the program should have at least overhead expenses that are

reasonable and also a transparent ratio. Additionally, through publishing an annual report

regarding the program donors will be updated and hence keeping providing funds for the recess

policy program. Another group of people that are supposed to be persuaded for the recess policy

program is state authorities. State authorities need to be assured that the policy is carried out

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under the state’s regulations hence, schools will have to abide all the rules. They will also have

to be presented with the document containing all the policies for approval (APP, 185-186).

Common Critiques of Recess

Incorporating recess in schools especially through physical activities can be dangerous to

students when the school management have not trained teachers on how to handle student when

on the playgrounds. Cases have been presented to legal courts blaming schools for not taking

precautions when children are playing in the field. Children getting hurt on equipment and the

equipment not meeting certain standards are the reasons as to why some parents are against their

children undergoing recess. Thus as a result of the numerous legal liabilities that schools are

facing due to children falling while jumping ropes they prefer not to engage in any physical

activities in the school. Besides, there are school administrators that wary when it comes to

making themselves vulnerable towards any legal action. (Rubinfeld & Jay, 131). Also, in the

field when there is no security children are exposed to sexual predators and kidnappers. With a

school playground that is open strangers can easily access the place making it a big safety

concern towards students. It is important for schools that have recess programs to ensure that

they have school ground officers that will be patrolling and keeping the playgrounds areas safe.

Additional to that, an unstructured environment can facilitate bullying thus exposing vulnerable

children to danger and torture. Often, bullying takes place outside of the classroom such as in

the lockers rooms, the hallway, and bathrooms. Less recess time allows for less bullying time

(Sutherland, 64).

Furthermore, today there is pressure on the public schools to meet instructional time

demands that have destroyed recess despite understanding that recess has academic benefits to

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students. Besides, in elementary schools, the management has reduced the amount of recess time

and thus introduced other courses that’s makes students spend much time in their classes. Many

have as well incorporated physical education classes as a substitute for recess. Various states

such as Louisiana have pushed back nationally towards the reduction and elimination of recess

for young students since teachers are not implementing them effectively. The state believes that

also much time needs to be incorporated in academics rather than wasting time 60 minutes a day

in recess. According to (), many teachers and schools do not understand the how poisonous

recess can be for urban schools with severe academic needs. Also, with untrained staffs, it makes

it hard for them to follow all the rules that are required for effective implementation of recess

duties. Schools thus pose wasting time trying to come up with the best way students can handle

recess activities rather than focusing on the academic growth of the students. Similarly, schools

that are against recess feels that some of the games that are being played during physical

activities are not fun and thus continue derailing the poor kid (Rubinfeld & Jay, 131).

Moreover, schools that are against recess believes that they spend a lot of resources in

paying for trained staff to implement recess. They are also forced to pay math, science and

physical education teachers the same amount of salary which is cot ineffective. Besides, math

teachers are supposed to earn more compared to the physical education teacher. Schools

normally cut back on expenses they also ensure that they cut from the staff members and

supervisors thus, recess becomes a problem when they opt on cutting their annual expenses.

Also, schools find it had to get skilled volunteers that will help in recess duties (APP, 185-186).

Conclusion

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In summary, recess helps in to promote cognitive understanding and intellectual construct

via interactive experiences. Also, children learn how to cope with others, control their emotions

and thus develop communication skills. In terms of cost, implementing recess is considered

inexpensive since there are various cheap playing facilities that have been introduced and also

schools get funds from sponsors, donors, and volunteers that appreciate fitness and healthy

lifestyles. Besides, costs are facilitated towards informing funding decisions and health care

policy. Additionally, key constituencies such as the authority, donors, educators, and parents will

have to be presented with recess policy plan before they provide support towards the policy.

Thus, schools management will have to follow as well defined plan that identifies the problem,

follow up on risk assessment and training its employees before implementing the policy.

Additionally, schools and organizations that are against the implementation of recess believe that

the policy is time-consuming and costly thus will only waste resources. Also, recess exposes

students to sex predators, kidnappers and bullying especially when there is an unstructured

environment.

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Work Cited

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183-188.

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In Schools." Research Quarterly For Exercise And Sport, vol 87, no. 2, 2016, pp. 133-140. Informa UK

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80, no. 11, 2010, pp. 517-526. Wiley-Blackwell, doi:10.1111/j.1746-1561.2010.00537.x.

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Extinction of Recess The Mental, Physical and Emotional Impact of Having Constructed Daily Breaks from Instruction

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