In Elementary School, a lot of us had the privilege of having a basic, twenty-minute break in addition to our lunches. However, once we got to middle school, that privilege was taken away. Why? 

The Break Benefits

According to the CDC Healthy Schools branch, recess and breaks are extremely beneficial to growing kids and can boost their mental productivity. It “increases physical activity, improving memory, attention, and concentration” (cdc.gov).    Cognition and creativity levels are boosted when students are provided with a break from the “standard structure of the classroom”  (cdc.gov). 

The benefits of recess are also proven to have a significant impact on the well being of kids. The American School of Education states that frequent recess breaks can “improve social development” and that “Recess is one of the few times of day when students get to interact with their peers under less rigorous teacher supervision”  (american.edu). These benefits are especially critical to the cognitive development of children. They can teach kids critical skills that they can keep for life such as problem solving skills, dispute management skills, and a sense of freedom from the tedious duties of the classroom. 

Additionally, Chromebooks are now a widely used resource for all students not just in Park Forest, but in the whole SCASD area. The more our eyes are exposed to blue light (radiating off of screens), the more damaged our eyes may become, and this can potentially lead to certain eye diseases such as far/nearsightedness and cornea damage. A brain break would allow us to not only stimulate our bodies, but our eyes too, and give us a break from staring at screens all day.

What Administrators Argue:

Recess can also get in the way of academics. The idea is that when kids grow older and transition into adulthood, they have to accept responsibilities and learn to work with a minimal amount of breaks; after all, adulthood isn’t about having fun and playing with friends. According to the Hechinger Report, “Recess can be stressful for some kids, especially for those who are shy, anxious or targeted by bullying.” 

Additionally, planning out a designated structure for recess would be tough on administrators- the whole idea of recess is gone without a structured approach. 

Students would just go on their chromebooks and spend the whole recess playing video games against friends or doing assignments- the complete opposite of what recess should be. Additionally, administrators argue that cutting down recess/taking away recess would help students learn more information and help them learn more (which can boost their test scores and their knowledge). *This was sparked from the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act- which began the decline of recess in schools all over the country”  (ECU Registrar). 

Park Forest Possibilities:

The classroom lifestyle is a sedentary one - there isn’t much movement involved. Here at Park Forest Middle, our block classes are a full 80 minutes of just sitting in class. An official recess period (or a small break in between classes) would be extremely beneficial as a time where we could simply have a “brain break” from the stress of classes (especially for the upper grade levels).

A budget from the district could be set aside to pay for more equipment to be used for students. Usually, there isn’t a lot of good quality equipment for students to use, if we are even allowed to go outside during class. A lot of the kickballs in the wooden baskets are deflated, and kids frequently fight over using the kickballs/volleyballs to play. A specific budget set aside for recess would allow us to get more (hopefully) better quality equipment, so everyone would be able to play. A twenty minute break in one of our morning classes would be ideal (somewhere in between periods that work for each grade). 

The Time For Change:

As we keep growing, it’s important to keep going but also to make time for breaks and having fun. Even a small recess would be beneficial to students as time to pause or take a break so we could jump back into learning with renewed clarity, energy, and purpose. 

Works Cited

Mader, Jackie. “Is recess a right or a privilege?” The Hechinger Report, 7 May 2022, https://hechingerreport.org/is-recess-a-right-or-a-privilege/. Accessed 16 September 2024.

“No Child Left Behind - ED.gov.” Department of Education, https://www2.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml. Accessed 16 September 2024.

“Recess in Schools: Disposable or Essential?” ECU Registrar, https://registrar.ecu.edu/wp-content/pv-uploads/sites/242/2017/06/2010-Keats-Sparrow-Award-Winner-%E2%80%8B-3rd.-Recess-in-Schools-Disposable-or-Essential.pdf. Accessed 16 September 2024.

“Recess | Physical Activity | Healthy Schools.” CDC, https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/physicalactivity/recess.htm. Accessed 16 September 2024.