Should Schools Have Recess Essay

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Pages: 4

Why Should Schools Still Have Recess? Why is recess needed in schooling? Why do schools still have recess cut into the scheduling? There are many people that believe recess is not important or imperative to children's learning and development. However, recess plays a crucial role in schooling. From introducing proper social interaction to promoting leadership skills, recess is a necessity in schooling. Many schools are trying to eliminate recess because of the need for more material to be covered, the pressure for teachers to meet higher standards on standardized testing, and because many believe time for more academics results in cutting recess (Cromwell “Should Schools Take a Break from Recess). Even though the standards are harder and …show more content…
Recess is also meant to increase the amount of learning obtained throughout the day. The way recess promotes a healthy lifestyle is by allowing children to go outside in order to run and play. As they are running and playing, whether they realize it or not, it is a form of exercise.Over time, time dedicated to recess has diminished. As this occurs, students suffer physically, as well as socially and academically.(Meyler and Banks “The Importance of Recess”) Showing kids, even participating with them in physical activities, can promote a love for physical activity. It can also show children how crucial exercise is to one’s health. Teaching children healthy habits at a young age can prevent them from becoming overweight and from developing unhealthy eating habits. The way recess promotes social skills and motivation to interact with others, is by creating a more open mind in meeting new people, how to properly deal with confrontational situations, and learning to communicate with others their age (Agostino and Illingworth, “The Importance of Recess and Play”). Learning to socially interact at a young age can prevent shyness and eliminate the risk of social anxiety. It can also teach children to properly resolve conflicts with others and react calmly in tense situations (Agostino