Running Head: Signature Assignment 1

Signature Assignment

The Effects of Longer Recess on Classroom Performance

Arizona State University

November 6, 2017

PPE: Healthy Learning Communities

Christina Shepherd
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The Effects of longer Recess on Classroom Performance

Introduction

Recess is an important part of the students day, without the recess the students get too

anxious and distracted. Short recess is hard on a student also because it is the hardest transition

time of the day. The children are often so wound up that its hard bringing their focus back to

their lessons (Hanscom, A. 2016, August 24). Shorter recess also affects the students ability to

pay attention, self-regulate and master the complex learning skills. This link will send you to the

E-portfolio and all its contents for the effects of longer recess on classroom performance

http://christinashepherd-ppe310.weebly.com/ .

Purpose

Physical activity is an integral component of a healthy lifestyle. Concern has been

expressed that a large proportion of children are insufficiently active to gain health benefits

(Ridgers, N. D., Stratton, G., Fairclough, S. J., & Twisk, J. W. (2007, February). Shorter recess

also affects the students ability to pay attention, self-regulate and master the complex learning

skills. Social-Emotional development is important with having recess because that is how

students socialize and make friends. Also, students need longer than 20 minutes of active free

play to regulate their bodies and prepare for learning. Dur to established health benefits,

international recommendations specify that children should accumulate 60 minutes of physical

activity daily (Parrish, A., Okley, A. D., Batterham, M., Cliff, D., & Magee, C. (2014, November

13). Recess offers both opportunities for both positive play and experience in learning how to

resolve conflicts, it can have powerful implications for a childs education. Many schools have

cut back recess programs watering down their effectiveness or have eliminated them altogether.

To increase physical activity level in children, several researchers have suggested increasing
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access to quality play spaces at school (Colabianchi, N., Kinsella, A. E., Coulton, C. J., &

Moore, S. M. (2008, November 14). The students need the physical activity to work off all the

time that they have been sitting and learning. Their minds have been working and they need to

have a release after so much time. A 20-minute recess wont allow children to dive deep into

their imagination or create elaborate playing. Shorter recess does not give enough time for

effective social skills and this is something that needed in this 21st century. Almost 20% of

Americans children ages 6 to 11 years old are obese. A decrease in physical activity has been

associated with an increase in obesity. The school environment is one place where many children

can be reached (Black, I. E., PhD, Menzel, N. N., PhD, & Bungum, T. J., DrPH. (2014,

November 20). Throughout the day the body get tired of learning and it needs to decompress. If

these are taking away and shortened down to nothing it is not going to be effective at all. If

recess was longer than 20 minutes there would be a significant change in a students behavior,

attention, and even their creativity. Schools that have well-run and well-organized recesses feel

better, safe and more engaged, which improves the overall school climate and the teachers then

will become more appreciative of the importance of recess (University, S. 2016, April 08).

Methods

The methods used are children on two urban elementary school playgrounds (one of

which offered a jogging program called jog and walk stars) were observed before school with

use of the system for observing play and leisure activity in Youth and System for observing play

and recreation in communitys observational tools (Black, I. E., PhD, Menzel, N. N., PhD, &

Bungum, T. J., DrPH. (2014, November 20). There were 442 students that were observed on the

playground. 289 at one school and 329 t the other school. Two different schools to observe the

playing of the students on the playground playing. In another in another study the use of
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individually matched school pairs, this study examined ten school that had been renovated for at

least a year to ten matched unrenovated schools (Colabianchi, N., Kinsella, A. E., Coulton, C. J.,

& Moore, S. M. (2008, November 14). The third study recruited based on existing policies,

equipment and their willingness to be involved in the study. To be involved in the study children

at the school had limited access to portable equipment, restricted access to larger playground

areas, compulsory break sitting time and no hat no play policy (Parrish, A., Okley, A. D.,

Batterham, M., Cliff, D., & Magee, C. (2014, November 13). For the fourth and final study 232

boys and 238 girls were recruited from 26 elementary school from one large city in North West

England returned signed parental informed consent to participate in the study. The school

received money to redesign the playground environment (Ridgers, N. D., Stratton, G.,

Fairclough, S. J., & Twisk, J. W. (2007, February). For all the four studies there was always the

use of children and money to fund more equipment for playing on the playground.

Results

The results from the four studies were interesting and intriguing. The studies suggest that

renovating school playgrounds may result in greater utilization of the playgrounds outside of

school hours relative to those playgrounds which are not renovated (Colabianchi, N., Kinsella, A.

E., Coulton, C. J., & Moore, S. M. (2008, November 14). Activity levels were generally high at

both the renovated and the nonrenovated playgrounds, attracting people to the playground. The

results also indicate that playground marking, and physical structure are an effective method for

significantly increasing childrens recess physical activity long-term (Ridgers, N. D., Stratton,

G., Fairclough, S. J., & Twisk, J. W. (2007, February). With attaining the results of the studies

showing that the changes in the environment can affect the physical activity of the students.
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Positivity impacting break-time with new portable equipment of just new equipment can get the

students to be more involved and active. This will also increase the students academically.

Synthesis of information

Overall, most of the articles determined that playground play, and recess has a positive

performance with students in the classroom. The articles share one common result in that the

students who were physically active during recess they saw and increase in play time outside

with friends. The studies within each of the articles did share the common theme of positively

impacting break-time physical activity. Also, students were asked to participate in the study and

had to sign a permission slip from the parents to participate in the study. Teachers also responded

that allowing students to play in the shade would not increase the activity levels. The students

that are offered the opportunity to play on the playground met almost half if not all their

recommended physical activity.

The research shows the importance of having recess and having that play time for the

students to be physically active outside or even inside the classroom as a body break. This gives

the students an overall healthy and active lifestyle. This also benefits the students academically.

If the schools provide longer recess at lunch or even throughout the day the student will pay

more attention to the teachers and learn more academically.

Synthesis of current Literature

Overall, most of the articles determined that playground play, and recess has a positive

performance with students in the classroom. The articles share one common result in that the

students who were physically active during recess they saw and increase in play time outside

with friends. The studies within each of the articles did share the common theme of positively

impacting break-time physical activity. Also, students were asked to participate in the study and
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had to sign a permission slip from the parents to participate in the study. Teachers also responded

that allowing students to play in the shade would not increase the activity levels. The students

that are offered the opportunity to play on the playground met almost half if not all their

recommended physical activity.

The research shows the importance of having recess and having that play time for the

students to be physically active outside or even inside the classroom as a body break. This gives

the students an overall healthy and active lifestyle. This also benefits the students academically.

If the schools provide longer recess at lunch or even throughout the day the student will pay

more attention to the teachers and learn more academically.

Practical Implications

Whether it really makes a difference in the student if they can learn better or not. Many

early childhood centers stress the importance of large blocks of time for play throughout the day

to help children develop problem-solving skills that require persistence and engagement. Recess

offers both opportunities for both positive play and experience in learning how to resolve

conflicts, it can have powerful implications for a childs education. Many schools have cut back

recess programs watering down their effectiveness or have eliminated them altogether.

Increasing the recess with help the teachers and the overall progress of the students

academically. Incorporating mini- breaks and longer recess will help with academics and focus

throughout the school, students and can even help the staff.

Marketing

This will be for all Elementary School level students K-8. After all this implementation

of longer recess or more breaks are only going to benefit them. A poster will go through the

hallways, cafeteria and restrooms to allow them to visually prepare for the changes to come.
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(APPENDIX A) Teachers will benefit also from this because they will have calmer students to

teach the material that is needed to be taught. A Newsletter will go home to the parents letting

the parents know that more frequent breaks or longer recess that will be implemented as a trial to

see how students react academically. (APPENDIX B).

Funding

No funding is needed to provide and extra recess or break times throughout the day. The

only time that we would need funding is if we wanted to incorporate more portable equipment or

add equipment on the playground. If this was wanted, then a fund raiser would be set up to gain

funds for the equipment.

Administration

Having administration on board with trying out longer recess or more mini breaks is

crucial. Without having administration on board their process will not happen at all.

Countrysides Principal is all about having new ideas brought into play and seeing how they

work. Proposing this will allow the Teachers and administration to be more open-minded about

incorporating recess or more mini-breaks.

Engagement

The students will be engaged my participating in the longer recess or more mini-breaks

throughout the day. There will be an assembly to notify the students that this change will occur,

Teachers will have to incorporate an adjustment in their schedule; the K-4 will schedule more

mini-breaks throughout the day. 5-8 will incorporate a longer recess for lunch time. This is to see

the results of both ends.

Scheduling
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The K-4 grade Teachers will have to incorporate many mini-breaks throughout the day.

Teaching 45 minutes then giving the students a 15-minute break outside. This will occur two

times throughout the teaching day. This allows a 30 minute more break than normal. The 5-8

Teachers will have to incorporate 30 minutes more for recess, so the students will get a total of

45 minutes for recess and still have the 20-minute lunch. The Teachers will have to adjust their

teaching time and their break times to ensure there is adequate coverage for lunch monitors and

recess monitors. The extra mini breaks will be split up with K-3 going out at the same time. And

the 5-8 recess will just extend their lunch recess to be longer. All teachers will still be outside

with their students and rotate duty like they do during lunch time.

Recognition

With having these addition breaks the students academic levels should increase. The

Teachers stress should decrease based on the addition breaks. During a typical break, students

head outside to play and socialize with friends while teachers disappear to the lounge to chat

over coffee. This can still occur, but the students and the teachers will reappear fresh. Students

ready to learn and the teachers ready to teach. Administration will be looking for increase in

focus and attention when they come to the classes to do random evaluations.

Conclusion

Recess is a crucial part of the students day and without it students will get anxious and

distracted more easily. Transition times are already hard for some students and having a longer

recess or more mini breaks will help with transitions and make them much smoother. shows the

importance of having recess and having that play time for the students to be physically active

outside or even inside the classroom as a body break. This gives the students an overall healthy

and active lifestyle. This also benefits the students academically. If the schools provide longer
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recess at lunch or even throughout the day the student will pay more attention to the teachers and

learn more academically. With increasing the K-3rd graders breaks from one at lunch to having

three throughout the day including lunch will increase the students attention and focus. They

will want to be engaged with learning and it will make the Teachers day so much smoother.

The first school year with having the longer recess incorporated there will be some

Teachers that feel that it is hard to incorporate this. With time the teachers will understand and

see the changes in the students with their behaviors and their focus. The incorporation of longer

breaks and a longer recess is a step in the right direction not only for the academic proportion for

the student but also engages the students in a healthy lifestyle with being active outside.

Informing the parents about the up and coming changes along with updates about how the new

changes have been impacting the students will show the community and the parents that

academics and health is really number one priority.

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References

Black, I. E., PhD, Menzel, N. N., PhD, & Bungum, T. J., DrPH. (2014, November 20). The

relationship among playground areas and physical activity levels in children. Retrieved

October 31, 2017, from https://ac-els-cdn-

com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/S0891524514003460/1-s2.0-

S0891524514003460main.pdf?_tid=95f1ccd6-be64-11e7-a179-

00000aab0f01&acdnat=1509472668_2bf16ae9ec2dccc9f42cffe4a50f7998

Colabianchi, N., Kinsella, A. E., Coulton, C. J., & Moore, S. M. (2008, November 14). Utilization

and physical activity levels at renovated and renovated school playgrounds. Retrieved

October 31, 2017, from https://ac-els-cdn-

com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/S009174350800618X/1-s2.0-S009174350800618X-

main.pdf?_tid=d00a4632-be5f-11e7-b3dc-

00000aab0f26&acdnat=1509470618_dffd083814dfb5dd9562b47732610f91

Hanscom, A. (2016, August 24). Longer Recess, Stronger Child Development. Retrieved

October 27, 2017, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/longer-recess-stronger-child-

development-angela-hanscom

Parrish, A., Okley, A. D., Batterham, M., Cliff, D., & Magee, C. (2014, November 13). PACE: A

group randomised controlled trial to increase children's break time playground physical

activity. Retrieved October 31, 2017, from https://ac-els-cdn-

com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/S1440244015000997/1-s2.0-S1440244015000997-

main.pdf?_tid=b4a6ed5a-be5f-11e7-ad47-

00000aacb361&acdnat=1509470572_d9b89ac36bb4e4462adba9b63c7514f6

Ridgers, N. D., Stratton, G., Fairclough, S. J., & Twisk, J. W. (2007, February). Long-term

effects of playground markings and physical structures on children's recess physical

activity levels. Retrieved October 31, 2017, from https://ac-els-cdn-

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com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/S0091743507000369/1-s2.0-S0091743507000369-

main.pdf?_tid=6d130844-be59-11e7-b483-

00000aacb35e&acdnat=1509467875_7874c2414a651793842fff1bdad4cebc

University, S. (2016, April 08). School recess offers benefits to student well-being, Stanford

educator reports. Retrieved October 27, 2017, from

https://news.stanford.edu/2015/02/11/recess-benefits-school-021115/