Doctors say kids aren’t getting enough play time at school. The American Academy of Pediatrics are the most recent group to weigh in on the recess debate. Some believe students need a day full of structured academics to compete in today’s society while others say recess promotes learning in its own way.
Support for recess
The pediatrics group released as statement saying it “believes that recess is a crucial and necessary component of a child’s development and, as such, it should not be withheld for punitive or academic reasons.”
“The AAP has, in recent years, tried to focus the attention of parents, school officials and policymakers on the fact that kids are losing their free play,” said the AAP’s Dr. Robert Murray, one of the lead authors of the statement. “We are over structuring their day. … They lose that creative free play, which we think is so important.”
According to ABC News, the statement is backed by multiple studies that show various benefits of recess including cognitive benefits, better attention during class, and enhanced social and emotional development.
One study of 11,000 third graders found students that didn’t have any recess behaved worse and learned less than students that had just 15 minutes of recess a day.
Others weigh in
Doctors around the nation are now weighing in on the debate, many promoting the numerous benefits of unstructured free time.
“It fascinates me … that this continues to be a debate,” said Dr. Barrett Fromme, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Chicago.
“The business world repeatedly lauds the corporate culture of companies like Google who offer opportunities for play and community collaboration, and suggests that such culture is the reason for the success and happiness of its employees. Yet, we do not encourage the same culture in our children who are at a far more critical developmental period.”
