Monday, February 21, 2011

The Benefits of Recess

In my CE 250:  Education of Young Children class we are doing critical inquiry portfolios.  Our topic can be anything related to education and children with disabilities.  We did a project similar to this last semester in CE 200.  Last semester my topic was the benefits of recess in schools.  I decided to continue my research on recess this semester.  Therefore, my topic for my critical inquiry portfolio is recess for children with disabilities.  I have already found and read two research articles about the benefits of recess for children with autism.  I also developed a list of ten questions related to my topic.  Today in class I conducted a small group discussion in which I asked my peers four of the questions I had prepared.  I found it extremely beneficial to hear my peers’ ideas about recess for children with disabilities.  They had some great ideas that I had not thought of.  The benefits of recess for children and teachers clearly outweigh the costs.  Some administrators choose to reduce the amount of time children are at recess or remove recess from the school day completely because they feel pressure to perform well on tests.  However, research shows that in order for students to stay focused on schoolwork for the entire day they need the break that recess provides.  Teachers also need this break.  Recess allows teachers to communicate with other teachers and observe their students outside of the classroom.  Students with disabilities also benefit from recess.  As long as a student with a disability is included in the recess activities and is safe then they will get the same benefits that all of the other children get. 
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2 comments:

  1. TorranceApril 4, 2011 at 5:30 PM

    I really feel like, especially at a young level, recess needs to be included in the school day. It gives students time to become physically more healthy and work off energy that could be a distraction in the classroom, while also giving them chances to interact and grow their interpersonal skills. This is a skill that helps them beyond their time in school. Beyond that, young children cannot be expected to keep attention for an entire school day.

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  2. Mike IsonApril 4, 2011 at 9:47 PM

    Recess is a very important part of a students day. It teaches them to build relationships with other students, and also gives them a break from the stressful school day. But I think more importantly schools need to actually make recess a more important part of the day with the growing use of technology. Because of technology, students are spending less and less time outside and exercising, and recess should be encouraged instead of challenged.

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