What happened to recess?

Taking a little break from breastfeeding for a moment to discuss a school issue. 

My son will start kindergarten in the fall, and my husband and I have been checking out our local public schools.  In general we're pretty happy with what we're finding (and we're both former teachers, so we're a little picky).  But one thing is really bugging me:  recess is almost gone.

The public schools in our district all offer full-day kindergarten.  This means that 5 year olds are in school from roughly 9:00 to 3:00.  There is one recess break after lunch, for about 30 minutes.  That's it.  When I taught, ten years ago, there was both a morning and afternoon recess.

When I asked about it, the answer I got was 'we have a lot to cover' or 'we make the afternoon pretty low key academically.'  I could tell by the way the teachers answered that they were sympathetic to the concern, but aren't in charge of the policy.

What I didn't ask then, but will certainly do next year, is "Don't you think they'd learn more if they had the chance to run around a little bit?"  And while it's not tested on a state exam, aren't they actually learning something pretty important while they're outside shaking their sillies out?  Like how to be with other people?  Not to mention physical fitness in the age of childhood obesity.

I get where this comes from.  The public wants high standards, accountability, and good test scores, and this has translated into a lot of assessment and a lot of pressure on teachers.  But I just can't believe that kids as young as five learn more when they are inside all day.  I've also been reading about the death of outdoor play in general, so it's even more disturbing to see outdoor play even at school go away.

Is this the way it works in your community?

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Comments

[Safire]

I know in the DC area it's pretty much the same. I am not a fan of the full day of kindergarten because I really do feel like it's too much for 5 year olds to sit inside all day. And honestly, how much can 5 year olds learn without play? And isn't play how they learn anyway? I will not be putting my daughter in public school at least for kindergarten because I just think she wouldn't do well being in school all day long. (Of course, that's like 3 years away!)

[ejnj2002]

"The public wants high standards, accountability, and good test scores, and this has translated into a lot of assessment...." Not quite sure this is the "public" but the bureaucrats running everything...hopefully, that'll change with this election.

I live across from an upper elementary school (3rd-5th) about 20 miles outside St. Louis, MO. Over the last few years, I've noticed that the kids are outside less and less. This year, it seems they are hardly outside at all. God help the teacher that has to deal with all those active kids by the end of the day...I'd be ready to scream if my 2 1/2 year old son didn't get a little "run time" in the backyard!

[Angela]

My daughter attends kindergarten this year. At first she was to attend a public school where the kindergartners went all day on Monday, not on Tuesday, all day on Wednesday, not on Thursday, and half a day on Friday. The reasoning behind that horribly inconsistent schedule? It saved $200,000 on bus transportation, plus the dual-income families liked it because it was easier from a childcare standpoint. Note that the reasoning had nothing to do with what was best for the kids.

So I switched her to a school that had a half-day every day program, and I drove her to school every day. At first I was secretly smug about that superior decision, until I figured out that many of the kids in that class were there because they couldn't handle an all day program, either emotionally or academically. It was a good class, great school, great teacher, but it may not have been the best choice.

Then we moved, and my daughter started another half-day program, which is great except there are 31 kids in the class (compared to 21 in her old class)! The class gets divided by the teacher into the "early birds" who attend from 8:30 to 11:50 and the "late birds" who attend from 10:10 to 1:30 (divided by emotional and academic readiness). The late birds have a total of 30 minutes of recess, 10 minutes when they first arrive and the time overlaps with the early birds, and 20 minutes later in the day. I'm happy with that, but disappointed that they do not have gym class even once per week, nor do they have art or music. Of course the teacher incorporates those things as best she can on her own, but it's got to be difficult with 31 kids in the class!

I've considered homeschooling or private school as other options, but I am sticking with public school for now. As you can see though, I feel pretty strongly about some of its flaws.

[appelsauce]

Oh god, I hope it's not like that in our community!

[cagey]

Good gravy! My toddler attends a dayschool, twice a week from 10am to 2pm. And they get a 30 minute recess.

This is very worrisome - thanks for bringing it to our attention.

[Jay]

How different things are on the other side of the world. Here in Australia, full time schooling starts in Kindergarten and it is mandatory to be in Kindy by the age of 6 ( or the year you turn 6) and you can start as early as 4 turning 5. School goes from 9 till 3pm.

They do not have morning recess. They do have whats called fruit break and the kids in the mid morning stop work to have a piece of fruit ( catered by mum no canteens in Oz) and they usually sit on the floor while the teacher transitions to the next lesson. Lunch is late from 1pm to 2 pm and then it is only an hour before home time. Usually in that last hour they do more physical activities, dancing, sport, choir, drama or craft. One day each week they have cross country where they walk around the oval and they have a little card that records how many times they make it around. There is no pressure and its quite relaxed, just good old fashioned activity.

[Sarah]

My daughter is in full day kindergarten, a public school, and loves it. The bus picks her up at 8:05 and she is home by 3:30 Last year at age 4 she had preK five days a week from 12-3:15. She loved school last year except for the fact all they did was "play". There was really plenty of work happening, she just did not see it as that.
This year in kindergarten they have plenty of outside time. They also have gym class twice a week Monday, Thursday. Then everyother week on Wednesday. They go to art, music, computer lab, and spanish class. Most students also started reading by October. My daughter now rolls right through the books they checkout from the library, they read Margaret Hillert's book and are then tested on them. I know she will be very ready for 1st grade next year.
I also ensure my children spend several hours a day outside with their friends daily when the weather is nice. We live on a military post and have a great neighborhood and friends for both of my children to play with.

[onetinkerbell]

This is a problem that we've been struggling with recently. My daughter didn't attend American kindergarten - she spent 3 years in German kindergarten. There they had a morning "recess" break, a break after lunch and rest period, and a third break in the afternoon if the weather was cold or rainy (they still went outside). If the weather was fine or if it was summer, they often spent the entire afternoon doing activities outside. They also did nature walks in the spring and fall and had a "gym" class once a week. I never worried about my daughter getting enough exercise because they felt very strongly about the need for preschoolers (3-5 or 6 years) to be active.

When Maeve started attending regular American school it was in 1st grade. The school on post had recess at lunch and in the afternoon, although the teachers sometimes took them out in the morning if she felt that they needed it. They had gym once a week.

Now Maeve is in 2nd grade and we're back in the States. She only has recess at lunch time and even then they don't always let the kids go outside in the winter. I don't understand this, because we live in West Virginia and it's really not that cold here. Besides, if the kids are outside running around it's unlikely that they'll get cold. Fortunately she has gym twice a week this quarter.

The thing I notice most is that there are few children playing outside in our development, and frequently the majority of them are boys. I've seen moms call their kids in because it was too cold (50 degrees F) and because it was too hot (85 degrees F). I have a difficult time getting my daughter excited about outdoor play because there are no other kids out. I can remember spending entire days outside, only coming in to get a drink or use the bathroom. How have things changed so radically in such a short time?

[Maureen]

I can't speak for all states or schools, but where I taught (Northern CA), all kids had a 20-minute morning recess and a 45-minute lunch/recess. Kids in K, 1, 2, and 3 also got a 20 minute break in the afternoon. All kids went to school 8-2:50 (Tuesdays until 12:30 for teacher meetings), but most kinders in other schools just go half-day. I think California mandates that all kids get 100 minutes of P.E. each week (usually taught by a specialized P.E. teacher).

But I've seen the pressure on kids/teachers in many others ways than this! So I know what you're talking about. I have to admit, from a teacher's point of view, that school success has very little to do with what happens at school, and almost everything to do with the child's home life.

[Marya]

I find it interesting that there are stricter rules for child care centers than for public schools. For example, MA has proposed that centers have 60 minutes of activity per day. Plus, have you heard of how teachers are taking away recess as a punishment for misbehavior? Let those kids run around!

[Nicole]

I live in Toronto, Canada. When I was a child, we had morning and afternoon recess PLUS after lunch recess. Today my own three children (age 6, 4 and 2) go to a school where, for most of the winter, they NEVER go outside because it is just "too cold" (Don't ask me what happened to all the Global Warming). Of course, that always prompts me to say "When I was that age, I had to walk to school every day and staying inside for recess was not an option, even in a blizzard!" which is TRUE. Their school is not walking distance away so I even drive them to and from school. So take that, plus no consistent recess, leaves me feeling much concern about their health. I take them to the YMCA for exercise and work hard to make it all up to them in the Summer!