The Importance of Recess in Elementary Aged Students During a typical Elementary school day, students spend a majority of their time sitting in a chair listening to a teacher who is lecturing important information to them on the board. One expectation teachers have of their students, is to stay focused and pay attention; teachers want children to absorb as much information as possible. This expectation is okay for teacher to have, but they need to recognize the needs of the child. A child is meant to play, their bodies have a lot of energy and need to have an outlet for that. There is a problem with how we are treating recess in our school systems. In today’s society teachers are trying to put as much information as possible into children’s brains, and not letting them learn in the way that they should, through play. Schools are putting too much of a focus on learning and not enough on the playground outside. Recess should be seen as a gateway for students to get out the energy they have, to focus in the classroom. Not only does recess help better attention in the classroom, there are also a lot of skills that cannot be taught in a classroom, but can be learned on a playground. The LIINK Project is one intervention that is being done to help improve academic skills through recess.
Recess’ Benefits on Development
In the text Educational Psychology, the reader learns the benefits of physical activity and recess on child development. Maria Montessori a physician who studied