The Crucial Role of Recess in School

COUNCIL ON SCHOOL HEALTH

AAP—American Academy of Pediatrics


Recess is at the heart of a vigorous debate over the role of schools in
promoting the optimal development of the whole child. A growing trend
toward reallocating time in school to accentuate the more academic
subjects has put this important facet of a child’s school day at risk.
Recess serves as a necessary break from the rigors of concentrated,
academic challenges in the classroom. But equally important is the
fact that safe and well-supervised recess offers cognitive, social,
emotional, and physical benefits that may not be fully appreciated
when a decision is made to diminish it. Recess is unique from, and
a complement to, physical education—not a substitute for it. The
American Academy of Pediatrics believes that recess is a crucial
and necessary component of a child’s development and, as such, it
should not be withheld for punitive or academic reasons. Pediatrics
2013;131:183–188


http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/131/1/183.full.pdf+html?sid=5027c478-1779-471b-842c-c5dcc4362413