[vegaschristina]

I got a note home from my daughter's kindergarten teacher today. It says that after the New Year, they're going to phase out recess from her day so they can fit more into their 1/2 day of class. I think it's wrong to expect 5 and 6 year olds to be able to sit and focus for 2 1/2 hours without a single opportunity to run off some energy.

In order to fight the school, I need info to use as a reason that they shouldn't do this other than I don't think it's a good idea.

So...any reasons on why I should demand they NOT do this? I really think this is a bad idea, but I don't want to go there with just "I don't like it" as my reason, ya know?

[mommytoEli]

teacher pov:

part of me says, "no...don't take away MY recess!" lol. in my last position i taught 1/2 day (4 hours), they had 2 recesses. we both needed them.

the other part says, k is pretty active. i really hope your dd's class isn't sitting still for 2.5 hours. they should be moving table groups, going to the floor, sitting at the teacher's chair, dancing around, etc. i have also taught k 1/2(4 hours) day with only 1 recess, we were fine, and a full day with only 2 recesses, we were fine.


i think as long as the teacher has the students moving around, allows them potty time, your dd wil be fine. i'd only be concerned if the recess gets taken away and you find that your dd starts getting in trouble alot.

[greenrobin]

I hate that they are taking away recess.

Kids do need the opportunity to vigorously exercise their large muscle groups. I've read about research that says that children learn better following large muscle movement.

And it's just sad that schools think that we can sever the mind/body connection without causing harm. They are little kids and they need time to just be.

But, phasing recess out to accomodate adacemics is the trend. No child left behind....

If you look, you'll be able to find the research that supports the position in favor of recess.

Sadly, don't expect it to make a difference.

[npmom]

Even with a 1/2 day- kids need a wiggle break! & Fresh air! Brain studies will support you here!

Socially, recess is a great thing! Do kids engage others? Work out problems on their own? Free play, exploration on the playground, to look at worms,birds and such!

Now...find out about physical education mandates in your state and how they are being accounted for in the school day. PE is required...but sometimes recess is built into this model...

Honestly- as a teacher-15 minutes of kids being kids is a great thing for everyone! Do we not as adults need a social break? a coffee break? a brisk walk? to recharge and reboot? of course we do, and kids are no different!

[binkybear]

It's really so silly...sad really, K with no recess. Good grief. They're children. Children need play, not more stuff squeezed in. It's kindergarten, they'll have plenty more stuff squeezed into their day for the rest of their lives. Let them play outside while it's still something they want to do, while it's still acceptable amongst peers...to just play! *sigh*

Then my mind goes to what most companies offer employees in an average day. Most will offer a 30 minute lunch with two 15 minute breaks, that's a typical large corporation. So even adults are, in most cases, able to stretch their legs and brains in a non "work" way at least every 2 hours.

[vegaschristina]

My thought is, if they want to put in more academic time, then move from a 1/2 day to a full day, but don't expect a 5 year old to do what is impossible for 5 year olds to do.

[SuzySSunshine]

Before you make a decision to act on this, I suggest that you go in and observe the class. Most Kindergarten programs involve a great deal of movement and variety. They are rarely sitting and attending to one activity for more than fifteen or twenty minutes. In addition, most Kindergartens have special and snack time so they have breaks and even a change of scenery.

With just 2.5 hours of instruction I would be very upset if recess took away from the academic plan. The children have the entire balance of the day to play. But even if you wind up disagreeing completely you need to actually observe the program before you try to come up with arguments against the educators' intention.

[OakShannon]

I am pro-recess! I think everyone needs the downtime and a chance for some fresh air and a chance to run. I am aware of struggling inner-city schools that have taken recess away from full day programs in order to use that time to boost test scores and I think that its punitive, counterproductive and an overall dumb idea.

However, (cough) as a kindy teacher myself, I can't say what I think until I know more about the program. It IS only 2.5 hours long. So depending upon the program itself, I might actually agree. I think children can do very well having long blocks of uninterrupted time to work on things, provided that their work allows them to 1)move around 2)be creative 3)make some choices about what they are working on 4) move around

Yes, I know I listed that one twice.

80% of 5-year-olds are still predominantly kinesthetic learners, which means they learn when their bodies and their brains are engaged. They learn by doing, moving and manipulating objects more effectively than by just hearing or seeing. (By comparison, that figure drops to 30% by second grade.) In my kindergarten, I taught letter sounds with accompanying gross motor movements. I taught letters with games and puzzles and music. And the kids spent a lot of time working with partners and small groups. And if the program had only been 2.5 ours, I would have LOVED to get that time uninterrupted.

So, what's it like in the classroom? Lots of workbooks and desk work? 2.5 hours is too long (and it's not the most effective way to teach most 5-year-olds to begin with.) But in another classroom, it might be a good thing. Can you observe to see what they are doing? If the kids are engaged and happy for 2.5 hours, then I don't see the problem. But if the teacher is spending a lot of time trying to get them to sit in their seat and if a lot of kids are having discipline problems, then it's not working and they need a break.

[MamaS]

Originally Posted by SuzySSunshine

Before you make a decision to act on this, I suggest that you go in and observe the class. Most Kindergarten programs involve a great deal of movement and variety. They are rarely sitting and attending to one activity for more than fifteen or twenty minutes. In addition, most Kindergartens have special and snack time so they have breaks and even a change of scenery.
With just 2.5 hours of instruction I would be very upset if recess took away from the academic plan. The children have the entire balance of the day to play.

I worked as an elementary school counselor for 25 years and as a mother for life.
I see lots of kindergarten-age children in the theaters sitting still in a seat for a 90 minute or 120 minute movie. They will certainly get a lot more movement in a classroom (centers, bathroom and water, snack time, etc). I don't see this as a big problem unless your child is particularly restless?

[vegaschristina]

Nikki (kindergarten) and Bubba (special pre-K) are particularly restless. They don't sit still for more than 20 minutes at a time.

I guess I might not have been as upset if they had sent home a daily schedule of what they do in those 2.5 hours, or if they had shown where dropping recess had had an effect on improved learning, but every article I've found in the scientific journals indicates that even in a 1/2 day kindergarten, recess is important, not only for burning off energy, but also for social interaction and to help kids in getting their recommended amount of physical activity each day.

Also, I wouldn't be so upset, but it's not like I can take Nikki and Bubba to school early to play on the playground, because the principle has decided that the ONLY time kids can play on the playground is during recess. Not before school, and not after.

This wasn't a decision by the teacher because she knows the children and knows they can tolerate losing recess. The administration decided to phase out recess.

[loveajax]

I would be really upset at this too. I know they are "active" in K, but it's nice for them to do outside play, get some fresh air, etc.

to be honest, i am not thrilled with what i am learning about how schools "prioritize" these days. for example, music and art are afterthoughts at best. if we had the money, i seriously would think about finding a private school that was more "in line" with my thoughts (even though i am a huge public school supporter!).

[DPline]

I have two in kindergarten this year. They are there from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM daily and there is no recess. Never has been in our school system that I know of. However they are up and down and in different areas of the room all the time. They are never just sitting for more than a few minutes at a time. They also have a special every day. Art, music, and library once a week and gym twice a week. So they are out of the classroom as well. Their teacher did take them outside some in Sept. to do nature walks, etc. when the weather was warmer, but now for her to get 20-some kids buddled up to go out would take forever.

[SuzySSunshine]

Originally Posted by MamaS

I worked as an elementary school counselor for 25 years and as a mother for life.
I see lots of kindergarten-age children in the theaters sitting still in a seat for a 90 minute or 120 minute movie. They will certainly get a lot more movement in a classroom (centers, bathroom and water, snack time, etc). I don't see this as a big problem unless your child is particularly restless?

I agree that it is a shame that most schools presume that children struggle to sit and concentrate in Kindergarten, but they often do.

[Cjmeck]

I used to teach 4yos PreK, and I wouldn't have a problem with this. I've spent lots of time volunteering in my son's classroom and especially K. They are constantly moving from station to station. They go to different activities like gym, art, music. If they continue to have recess (let's say recess is 15-20 minutes) and during the winter they need to get coats on everyone, ect... Recess could easily take up 30 minutes or more of a 2.5 hr day. That's not a lot of time for learning. And I'd say by January, most of the kids should be getting with the program and understanding what is expected of them in a classroom setting. The majority of the country is going to fullday K so these kids are already at a bit of a disadvantage. And in fullday K in the districts I've been involved with; they get recess in the afternoon anyway. It will help get them ready for
1st grade as well where they probably won't get a recess until after lunch--which for my son was after being at school for nearly 4 hours. I understand that its something that kids will miss out on but I completely support the logistics and the educational reasoning for the change.

[crick]

Our kindy's had a longer day so they did get recess. One idea you might suggest to the teacher if she doesn't already do it though is a "Brain Break".

Some of my kids' teachers even beyond kindy grades do periodic brain breaks through out the day. One teacher took 5 minutes between lesson transitions to have the kids stand up and sing a silly song while doing jumping jacks or some other physical activity. Another teacher did "Math Races" at the end of the math lesson where kids could race to the board to write the answers down. I remember a kindy teacher doing a stand up clapping game where one kid would start off with the letter A and say "A is for Apple (or whatever) and it would move to the next kid saying "B is for Bear" etc. Just a bit of a stretch/movement involved can really help.

So in a 2.5 hour timeframe, maybe things like this would be more feasible? Play time IS important, but I agree that with this time allotment, recess is likely taking away a solid 30 minutes from their day and while it might not seem like much, it really is a struggle to get kids refocused after recess.