Are Recess Periods Necessary for Elementary School?

In recent years there has been much debate as to the necessity of recess in elementary schools and there have been numerous studies conducted to determine what effect it has on the young students. While most of these studies seem to show the positive benefit of a recess during school, the results of these studies are not conclusive.

Those that wish to eliminate recess say that the time can better be spent in the classroom spending more time on educational materials. They feel that this will help to teach more challenging criteria and raise test scores. Others are worried about injuries on the playground that could lead to law suits. There is also concern as to the security of the children while on the playground from outside interference, such as strangers who could have access to the children. Because of budget restrictions there may not be enough teachers to properly supervise the students while in recess. There may also not be enough volunteers to help out.

Some of the arguments for keeping recess are that the students build up a surplus of energy and they need to burn it off during recess. They also get exercise that is needed so that the kids can avoid childhood health problems from being too inactive. It also helps them build social skills by interacting with their peers. By giving the children periodic breaks, it improves their attention skills and also helps them learn better by spreading their learning tasks over time rather then concentrating it into a shorter time.