School Recess Still Popular But Discrepancies Exist

A recent study by the US Department of Education suggests that reports of the demise of recess may be overblown. According to the report the overwhelming majority of elementary schools still offer recess each day, usually for about 25 minutes. Only about one in twelve students go without daily recess, according to the schools that were surveyed.

The 2005 figures, released recently, come from the Education Department's first study on food and exercise in public elementary schools. See a complete table showing the percent of schools offering recess with a percentage break down of the number of days per week recess is scheduled, with times per day, and minutes per day.

An overview the entire study which focuses on both food and exercise is also available online.

Earlier research has shown that recess provides the brain with needed downtime to recycle chemicals crucial for long-term memory formation and that breaks are essential for satisfaction and alertness. In 1995, Pellegrini, Huberty and Jones found that elementary school children became progressively inattentive when recess was delayed, resulting in more active play when recess occurred. A study conducted by Jarrett in 1998, found that fourth-graders were more on-task and less fidgety in the classroom on days when they engaged in recess.

Other research has found that recess may be the only opportunity for some children to engage in social interactions with other children. Many classrooms allow for very little interaction. Moreover, latchkey children, who lock themselves in at home after school with TV and computer games as companions, often have no peer interactions once they leave school.

The US Department of Education study also finds that how much money a student's parents earn has a large effect on how much recess he or she can expect to get. Public schools with more wealthy children get, on average, about 50% more recess a day than those with the most low-income students. First-grades in the wealthiest schools, as measured by the percentage of children enrolled in the federal free and reduced-price lunch program, get 31.8 minutes a day, the study shows. Those in the poorest schools get only 21.0 minutes per day. The gap holds throughout the grades, with the wealthiest sixth graders getting 28.6 minutes of recess vs. only 17.2 minutes for the poorest kids.

With the concern over childhood obesity, the study also examined foods served in the elementary schools. It was found that, in addition to the typical school lunch, only 40% of schools offer extra fruit or green salads and 53% offer fruit or vegetable juice.

The Advantage Press is working closely with Healthy Food of the Week to introduce a positive nutrition program in Elementary Schools. Read more about this exciting program at our website.

The National PTA has launched a "Rescuing Recess" campaign to stress the benefits of recess and discourage schools from eliminating recess.