[Source NPR via Your Therapy Source]

A recent article on NPR entitled “Turns Out Monkey Bars And Kickball Might Be Good For The Brain” discusses a school in Texas that has increased recess to 15 minutes 4 times per day for kindergarteners and first graders.  The leader of the changes is a kinesiologist who based the program on Finland schools.   Many of the teachers are noticing changes in their students behaviors and ability to stay on task.
Dr. Robert Murray previously compiled research for the  American Academy of Pediatrics suggesting that kids with regular recess behave better, are physically healthier and exhibit stronger social and emotional development.  The policy statement is entitled “The Crucial Role of Recess in School”.  The researchers recommend the following:

1. “Recess is a necessary break in the day for optimizing a child’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development.”  Don’t withhold recess from children.
2. “Cognitive processing and academic performance depend on regular breaks from concentrated classroom work.”  This is true for adolescents and young children.

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