May 17, 2013
As bullying in schools increasingly gains media attention, new studies have emerged that link environmental factors to kids’ behavior in schools. Better school breakfast or lunch programs, for example, can improve academic performance and social interaction. Awareness of bullying and the appropriate methods for dealing with it can also help create safer schools.
And now, a new study by Mathematica Policy Research shows the impact of play and healthy recess on student behavior and learning.
According to the study, recess is an essential building block that allows students to develop social skills independently, exert physical energy and develop skills in teamwork and coordination – all of which can lead to enhanced feelings of safety and more efficient time spent in the classroom.
Conducted by nonprofit Playworks, the study shows how playground interaction can carry over into classroom behavior and a student’s overall experience at school. Playworks, a grantee of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is now an integrated program in over 22 cities nationwide. Playworks coaches provide structured, healthy play time and recess for kids, where everyone is included and positivity is the rule. Using recess as a tool for reinforcing classroom concepts, building morale and creating safer learning environments, Playworks programs get results. Teachers in Playworks-integrated schools can spend more time focusing on teaching and less time sending unruly students to the principal’s office. What’s more, fewer incidents of bullying are reported in schools with Playworks programs, and teacher productivity is elevated.
Students everywhere will be happy to report that recess is just as important as arithmetic. In short, innovative programs like Playworks + kids + recess = safer, healthier schools.