The end of recess: Schools continue cutbacks in unstructured play
By Mark Sommer
The Buffalo News
May 27, 2008

Valerie Wales often has energy to spare at home. That’s because the first-grader doesn’t burn enough of it in school.

“My daughter sometimes gets to the end of the day, and she’s not ready for bed until she wrestles with her dad or gets chased around the house. She hasn’t run out of energy yet,” said Beth Elkins, an Allentown resident whose daughter attends Bennett Park Montessori Center.

The reason?

“Limited playing time” at school, Elkins said.

It’s a common complaint. Recess — considered unstructured play time, as opposed to physical instruction — is on the wane for large numbers of children, at least compared with when Elkins, 36, was growing up, according to researchers who have studied trends in play.

The decline in school recess slowly began about 30 years ago, researchers say, when one or two 15-or 20- minute recesses plus an hour lunch break were still the norm. And the decline continues to occur despite research showing unstructured play promotes learning while releasing energy and stress and minimizing disruptive behaviors.

A significant factor in more recent years has been an increased emphasis on standardized testing in response to demands for greater academic accountability. [More]

Learn more about how unstructured playtime aids academic performance and more.

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