Posted on 01/26/2009 4:27:32 AM PST by Zakeet
All work and no play may be a hazard for some U.S. school children.
Researchers reported on Monday that a growing trend of curbing free time at school may lead to unruly classrooms and rob youngsters of needed exercise and an important chance to socialize.
A look at more than 10,000 children aged 8 and 9 found better classroom behavior among those who had at least a 15-minute break during the school day compared to those who did not, Dr. Romina Barros and colleagues at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York reported.
The behavior assessments were general in nature and not made at any particular time of the school day, their report said.
"The available research suggests that recess may play an important role in the learning, social development, and health of children in elementary school," the research team said in a study published in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
But today many children get less free time and fewer physical outlets at school "because many school districts responded to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 by reducing time committed to recess, the creative arts, and even physical education in an effort to focus on reading and mathematics," they added.
The researchers also found that children not getting recess were more likely to be black, from poor families and attending public schools in large cities.
"This raises concern in light of evidence that many children from disadvantaged backgrounds are not free to roam their neighborhoods or even their own yards unless they are accompanied by adults," the team said. "For many of these children, recess periods may be the only opportunity for them to practice their social skills with other children."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
The fact they pay people to do this research is evidence of the problems in schools.
I don’t see any pants load in this article.
Children ARE in prison, kept from exercise and time to THINK.
What is missing from the article, and all lamestream media, is the REAL solution: abolish government school, and get most children out of ANY school.
To be the devil’s advocate, if you imposed eight straight hours with perhaps only a lunch break on adult workers, it would be illegal. If workers have the right to at least one fifteen-minute break during their work day, so do little children. That in no way takes from their actual performance; we have many other factors to look at.
I don’t think it is unreasonable to expect some recess time. We take breaks at work.
Have you ever been there during lunch? Half the time is spent in line, they have about 10 minutes to cram down lunch and have some ‘social’ time.
Kids aren’t robots. They learn how to solve differences, social skills and problem solving on the playground. Not just in organized sports like in PE.
Plus, they do need to get energy out. Or they will be crammed with Ritalin which everyone here will complain about.
I don’t see the problem in expecting 30 minutes of recess everyday.
If they want to learn about leisure time and play they should learn from their parents, who are probably sponging off taxpayer money. More play and less work will prepare them for adulthood when they will do no useful work at all.
Well, this should go a long way at keeping these children as ignorant as possible and primed to need democrats in power.
ultimate pay for play
This sounds like a secret plot to win more gold medals in future Olympics.
That is a ridiculous statement.
Good grief.
Hey Zakeet!
As the mom of boys I can attest to the fact that “ants in the pants” syndrome can be alleviated by physical activity - recess and gym class.
What do teachers often do when a child misbehaves?
She often takes “time” off his recess.
So there he sits - pent up energy - and when class resumes, his behavior is even worse than before.
When budgets get cut - it often comes out of the phys ed. program as well.
So picture a bunch of normal boys being told they have to sit nice all day.
Do you think you can pull that off?
Is it any wonder many parents get pulled aside and teacher says “I think Johnny may need some medicine to help him focus...”
Or, to make a long story short, "Bushs' fault".
The researchers also found that children not getting recess were more likely to be black, from poor families and attending public schools in large cities.
Translation: "Children and poor his hardest".
Kids need UNSTRUCTURED play.
Playing is where social rules are established.
The home is the benevolent dictatorship, and the playground is the proving ground for those mean ol' rules.
Boys especially learn base/foot ball rules on TV and discussions, and prove them with 'cleats on the ground' .. (or more commonly .. sneakers).
I've heard my daughters play (yes .. I was eavesdropping), and I know my one daughter (now a mother of two) learned to discipline her children by how poor Barbie was 'dealt with'.
Turn the kids loose with the tools (bats, balls, gloves, goals .. whatever) and they'll figure it out with more staying power than by being told.
For the love of Pete, go back to the way school was 40 yrs ago and the test scores and education the kids receive will improve by leaps & bounds.
But..that would not be PC. It might not be fair. How can they be indoctrinated?
You have my vote for the "Most ridiculous post of the day"!
Kids need UNSTRUCTURED play.
Playing is where social rules are established.
The home is the benevolent dictatorship, and the playground is the proving ground for those mean ol' rules.
Boys especially learn base/foot ball rules on TV and discussions, and prove them with 'cleats on the ground' .. (or more commonly .. sneakers).
I've heard my daughters play (yes .. I was eavesdropping), and I know my one daughter (now a mother of two) learned to discipline her children by how poor Barbie was 'dealt with'.
Turn the kids loose with the tools (bats, balls, gloves, goals .. whatever) and they'll figure it out with more staying power than by being told.
When I started out, I wanted to disseminate as much info as I could during the 75 minutes we had each week. Over the years, that has evolved into a less structured format, with time for socialization.
I know I've enjoyed teaching more over the past five years than I did the first five. I'll bet that attitude comes through to my students. I have also found their retention has increased, when I ask questions that pertain to previous lessons.
oops .. sorry for the double
Do you have children in school? When my son has a half he he comes home all wired up because he didn't have any recess time.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.