Benefits of Recess and Nutrition in

SchoolsRecess in Elementary School: What Does the

Research Say?

We hold the position that recess and nutrition are vital components of the development of children. More opportunities for recess and education on healthy eating habits provides the students with the knowledge to live longer and healthier lives.

Our Message to you…

Safety and liability concerns and fears that recess will disrupt work patterns may underlie the decision to do away with recess .

Other reasons cited for abolishing recess include the need for more instructional time. Personal conversations with principals and teachers suggest that they feel pressured to pack more instruction into the school day because of new calls for accountability.

Opposing thoughts on Recess….

Why Kids Need Recess Everyone benefits from a break Recess increases on-task time Children need outside light Unstructured physical play reduces stress Children need to learn to be social creatures Our children’s health is at risk Physical activity feeds the brain

Elementary school children became progressively inattentive when recess was delayed, resulting in more active play when recess occurred.

Fourth-graders were more on-task and less fidgety in the classroom on days when they had had recess, with hyperactive children among those who benefited the most.

Research shows…

Recess may be the only opportunity for some children to engage in social interactions with other children.

Recess can lower stress and anxiety. Without a chance to relieve stress, children sometimes resort to outbursts, nail-biting and temper tantrums.

During elementary school recess, children organize their own games, deciding on the rules and determining which team goes first or who is "it”.

Recess provides a more "open setting" where children are free to leave the play situation.

In open settings, children must learn to resolve conflicts to keep the game going, resulting in low levels of aggression on the playground.

Recess provides a non-threatening way for children of different cultures to learn from each other.

Social Development

Recess and Brain Development Students who do not get a break are much

more fidgety. Plus they miss out on watching and learning from other children.

Unstructured play allows children to explore and exercise their sense of wonder, which leads to creativity.

Vigorous exercise helps the heart pump fresh oxygen into the blood to nourish sluggish brains.

Inactivity is associated with the tripling of childhood obesity since 1970, accompanied by increases in health problems such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Research found that elementary school children engaged in physical activity 59% of the time during recess, with vigorous physical activity occurring 21% of the time.

Physical activity can reduce cardiac risk factors like obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and inactive life styles.

Play in the great outdoors stimulates the senses: children breathe fresh air, move on blades of green grass, smell fresh plants and run to favorite landmarks.

Through rough and tumble play, children learn about their bodies' capabilities and how to control themselves in their environment.

Activities like jump rope, kickball and hopscotch encourage children to take turns, negotiate rules, and cooperate.

Child Health

Recess can play an important role in the learning, social development, and health of elementary school children.

More research is needed to determine the current percentage of schools that have abolished recess and assess the effect of no- recess policies on student test scores, attitudes, and behaviors.

Concluding thoughts on recess…

Nutrition Children consume 2% of the recommended

servings each day. 84% exceed the saturated fat guidelines Less than 1/3 consume the recommended

dairy◦ Less that 1 in 10 girls and 1 in 4 boys are at or

above the recommended amount of calcium.◦ Decrease in calcium can cause osteoporosis and

bone fractures in adolescents.

Nutrition, cont. The food available to young people who live

in poverty is of poor nutritional value-high calories, high fat, high salt.

Children are undernourished despite their daily consumption of calories.

As educators and parents, we are responsible for introducing our children to healthy lifestyles.

Nutrition and Brain Development Nutrition is important for cognitive and

brain development Nutrients provide the energy needed to

complete simple and complex tasks. Even a moderate lack of nutrients can have

a lasting effect on children’s cognitive development and school performance.

Hunger and Academic Performance Millions of children in the U.S. experience hunger over

the course of a year. Hunger is not limited to those at the poverty level. Many children from middle and upper class families skip

breakfast. Breakfast is believed to be the most important meal of

the day. Skipping breakfast can adversely affect problem-solving

skills. Math grades improve when children are eating breakfast

regularly. Continuous low nutritional intake affects factors such as

motivation and attentiveness. Undernourished children are prone to irritability and lack

of concentration.

Childhood Obesity 9 million children between the ages of 6-19 are

overweight. Poor nutrition, inactivity, overweight, and obesity

affect the ability to learn and interact with peers. Overweight children suffer from depression and

anxiety, social isolation, and other medical complications.

80% of overweight children become obese adults. Children will have a poorer quality of life. Children will predecease their elders. Obesity can be prevented through increased physical

activity and good nutrition. 1 in 3 children are at risk for Type 2 diabetes.

Obesity and Academic Performance Students who are overweight are more likely

than healthy students to report impaired school functioning.

Math and reading scores are typically lower in overweight students in the lower grades.

In obese adolescents, school performance is most noticeably reflected in grades.

As a result of poor body image and lack of self-esteem, obese students often feel disconnected. Disconnection has been related to lower academic performance.

http://www.movingandlearning.com/Resources/Articles30.htm http://www.eduguide.org/library/viewarticle/1512 http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-2/recess.html http://jenny-hildenbrandt.suite101.com/link-between-nutrition

-and-academic-performance-a278743 http://www.amle.org/Advocacy/HealthandWellness/WellnessPr

esentation/tabid/1014/Default.aspx

Created by: Sadie Price, Danielle Bateman, Angie Branch, & Jennifer Huskey

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