Recess is Making a Comeback in Schools

Recess, which has been squeezed out of so many school days, is starting to gain traction once again. Recess has become part of Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign, and national organizations such as [...]]]> Did you see this headline earlier this week in the New York Times?!?

Recess is Making a Comeback in Schools

Recess, which has been squeezed out of so many school days, is starting to gain traction once again. Recess has become part of Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign, and national organizations such as KaBoom! and Playworks are advocating hard for recess. This is good news for children of all ages. The benefits of recess are widely known -  from reducing stress and obesity, to increased attention and more. Even with the focus on high-stakes testing, it is hard to understand why we have strayed so far from daily recess for our school children. It just doesn’t make any sense.

Now that the school year is in full swing, I wonder what your child’s recess experience has been. When my children were in Kindergarten, recess was one of the few parts of the day they looked forward to. When mandated assessments and curriculum constraints put pressure on their teachers to produce, produce, produce – it was recess that was shortened or even lost for the day. And boy, did I hear it from my sons when they didn’t have recess. They, to put it politely, were not happy. And how often does losing recess become a consequence that leads to more disruptive behavior and unhappiness?

Luckily, when I spoke to my boys’ Kindergarten teachers, they were very receptive. They agreed that recess is critical, and tried their hardest to bring it back. My boys were happier at school when recess returned. I’ve spoken to many parents who have had to advocate for recess for their children, not always with such positive results. If you find yourself needing to advocate for more recess in your school, I urge you to check out Peaceful Playgrounds where they have a very active Right to Recess campaign with loads of fantastic and free resources. This includes a webinar and a Power Point Presentation with a companion speaker’s guide with lecture notes and references!

And, if you are trying to advocate at your school, find other parents to work with. If your child is crying every evening, and feeling stressed at school, and lack of recess is at part of the problem, chances are very good that other children are feeling the same way. When parents join together, with the research and information to back their requests, schools will respond. If you are a teacher trying to bring back recess at your school – the Right to Recess campaign can help you, as well.

Play on!

Check out some related posts:

Recess (It’s not just for Congressmen)

Playful learning is more than just Sight Word BINGO

Alliance for Childhood’s press release on free plan and childhood obesity

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Wow! There is busy . . . and then there is BUSY! This has been a BUSY few weeks. Wonderful, though. Beginning with the powerful Rally to Save Public Education in Cambridge, MA (see previous post); continuing with a wonderful visit to my former school, Mission Hill School in Roxbury, MA;  then a quick [...]]]>

Wow! There is busy . . . and then there is BUSY! This has been a BUSY few weeks. Wonderful, though. Beginning with the powerful Rally to Save Public Education in Cambridge, MA (see previous post); continuing with a wonderful visit to my former school, Mission Hill School in Roxbury, MA;  then a quick trip to Jamaica for the wedding of a dear friend who happens to be an amazing early childhood educator;  and ending with an inspiring early childhood conference here in my own backyard (well, not literally, but close) . . . this has been an whirlwind of inspiring and powerful moments.

Today, as I head to Providence, RI for the NAEYC Professional Development Institute,  I force myself to take a few minutes to reflect on all that has inspired me in the last few weeks and all that I am thankful for.

First of all, I am inspired by teachers who work hard, on their own time, to reflect deeply on their practice.  Teachers who share their ideas, questions, student work and joy with others. On Saturday, June 4th, a beautiful spring weekend, our Hudson Valley Writing Project conference, Democracy, Literacy and Play: Hearing Children’s Voices was filled with just these kinds of amazing early childhood educators. Dedication doesn’t even begin to describe what I felt and saw on that memorable day.

I am thankful for all the time I was able to spend over the last week or so, with my friend and mentor, Deborah Meier. Debbie came to our conference as the keynote speaker, and joined me in presenting an afternoon session. It was such fun and reminded me of how much I miss talking with her and sharing ideas about education and life. I also saw Deb at the Rally to Save Education and on my visit to Mission Hill School. (Debbie is the founding principal at this K-8 Boston Public School.)  I am somewhat exhausted from all the traveling, presenting, talking and working – and Deb is 80 years old and going strong. Now if that isn’t inspiring, I don’t know what is.

I am thankful that my sons were able to join me for the rally in Cambridge, MA and the visit to Mission Hill School (and I am thankful that they didn’t join me for the quick trip to Jamaica!). At the rally, the boys joined in on the chants and held their sign proudly. They knew that as Arne Duncan was getting special recognition at Harvard Graduation, we were using our voices to raise awareness about the harmful effects of Race to the Top, high-stakes testing and more. The boys especially liked singing our version of John Lennon’s classic… “All we are saying, is give all kids a chance.”

The next day at Mission Hill School, and the trip to Jamaica with friends and colleagues, helped recapture for me the special spark that Mission Hill has. There aren’t many progressive, playful public schools still in existence, and Mission Hill is one of those places. Authentic learning and authentic assessments in a democratic community where everyone has a voice.  In the midst of harmful, top-down mandates from politicians who were never educators, Mission Hill School is a reminder to all of us about what is possible.

I am inspired by the leaders in education – teachers of teachers – who spoke at the rally and are standing up for what is developmentally and educationally appropriate. Along with Deb Meier, we heard  Nancy Carlsson-Paige, Diane Levin, Eleanor Duckworth and Alfie Kohn (what a list!!!). Click here to read Deb’s remarks from the Rally to Save Public Education -which she has posted on her website. Local parents and teachers also spoke out – I didn’t catch everyone’s name but I heard their messages loud and clear.  I invite you to read more about the rally – including pictures and video – on the Citizens for Public Schools website. And I urge you to consider joining the Save Our Schools Rally and March in Washington, D.C. on July 30th.

For me, many of these moments were playful, even as I see them as part of my work. I am thankful for that. I am also thankful for the purely playful moments throughout those busy days: Discovering a wonderful playground in Cambridge, MA.  Swinging on a hammock in Treasure Beach, Jamaica.  Dancing in the rain.  Enjoying a campfire with family.  Playing Othello with my son.  Watching my husband and sons soak each other mercilessly with water balloons.  And eating delicious strawberries picked from the patch in our own back yard.

Even when things are BUSY, I am determined to keep play central to our lives.

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Recommendation 5.4: State and local educational agencies should be encouraged to promote recess for elementary students and physical activity breaks for [...]]]> The good news is, someone on the White House Task Force for childhood obesity was listening. This week, Michelle Obama sent an email releasing their report, and among the many recommendations, was restoring recess!

Recommendation 5.4: State and local educational agencies should be encouraged to promote recess for elementary students and physical activity breaks for older students, and provide support to schools to implement recess in a healthy way that promotes physical activity and social skill development.

Definitely a step in the right direction, and encouraging news. You can visit the Let’s Move website to read the report and recommendations. The Task Force received over 2500 public comments – so a big thank you to everyone who wrote in about recess and more. On the heels of this success – here is another way to get involved and make change for children and play:

The standardized test movement is one of the many factors that is squeezing play out of children’s lives – especially their school lives. Starting in kindergarten, our children are being turned off – instead of turned on to learning. Many folks ask me, “But what can I do?”  Here is one thing you can do…today I am spreading the word about an exciting campaign initiated by the folks at Time Out from Testing. Here are there words:

Dear Friends,

Parent and other assessment reform organizations and individuals from across the country are participating in a postcard campaign to First Lady Michelle Obama asking that she encourage the President to put an end to the use of High Stakes Testing. When she was on the campaign trail she had the following to say about the Bush Administration’s No Child Left Behind Program:

“No Child Left Behind is strangling the life out of most schools.”
“If my future were determined by my performance on a standardized test I wouldn’t be here. I guarantee that.”

THOUSANDS OF US AGREE WITH HER CRITICISM. WE NEED HER HELP TO END THE RELIANCE ON HIGH STAKES STANDARDIZED TESTS.

HERE IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO: On May 29th send a postcard to Michelle Obama with this message:

Dear Michelle Obama:

We want the same education for our children that you provide for Malia and Sasha.
Our child is not a test score.
Encourage the President to end the use of high stakes standardized tests!

Sincerely,

Name:
Address:
Signature

Mail to:
First Lady Michelle Obama
White House,
Washington DC

Some of you may want to tweak the wording a bit. All that we ask is that you don’t dilute the main message of ending high stakes testing. Remember that once she receives the first 50 postcards, she and her staff won’t be reading them but instead will be counting them.

One way to ensure the success of this campaign will be to go viral and use our listservs and Facebook. However, it requires that people go to the post office , buy a postcard and then write the message and address it. In this day and age we fear that will not happen in mass numbers. So we have designed some other ways to make sure we reach our goal of between 50,000-100,000 cards on May 29th.

FOR THIS WE NEED THE SUPPORT OF ALL OUR ORGANIZATIONS TO GO INTO THE COMMUNITY AND MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!!!

HERE ARE OUR SUGGESTIONS FOR SUCCESS:

1. SET UP TABLES IN YOUR SCHOOLS WHEN PARENTS DROP OFF AND PICK UP THEIR KIDS AND GET THEM TO SIGN THE CARD. YOU WILL NEED TO BUY THEM AND PUT THE MESSAGE ON YOURSELF. ASK FOR A 25 CENT CONTRIBUTION. SOME WILL GIVE A DOLLAR AND SOME WON’T GIVE SO IT SHOULD BALANCE OUT.

2. ASK TEACHERS TO CIRCULATE THE CARDS AND GET THEM BACK TO YOU.

3. SET UP TABLES IN FRONT OF THE BUSIEST STORES ON A SATURDAY/SUNDAY AND COLLECT SIGNATURES ON THE CARD

4. SET UP CARD SIGNING AT YOUR LOCAL CHURCH

5. REMEMBER TO TAKE THEM TO THE OFFICE, FAMILY GATHERINGS, BIRTHDAY PARTIES, SOCCER/BASEBALL GAMES

6. REMEMBER ANYONE CAN SIGN THE CARD—KIDS, PARENTS, TEACHERS, FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES, RELATIVES

The important thing is that you keep a record of how many got sent due to your outreach. We will need a count sent to us at info@timeoutfromtesting.org so that when we hold a press conference on that day, we will have an accurate count.

WE HAVE VERY LITTLE TIME TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN BUT WE KNOW THAT IF ALL OF US PULL TOGETHER OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS IT WILL HAPPEN.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND EFFORT,

TIME OUT FROM TESTING
COALITION OF ESSENTIAL SCHOOLS
THE FORUM FOR EDUCATION AND DEMOCRACY
ADVANCEMENT PROJECT
RETHINK LEARNING
FAIRTEST

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I am back from Boston and the MassAEYC conference and have had time to think about some of the points David Elkind made in his keynote address. Dr. Elkind is the author of many respected books, such as The Hurried Child, Miseducation: Preschoolers at Risk and most recently, The Power of Play.  [...]]]>

I am back from Boston and the MassAEYC conference and have had time to think about some of the points David Elkind made in his keynote address. Dr. Elkind is the author of many respected books, such as The Hurried Child, Miseducation: Preschoolers at Risk and most recently, The Power of Play.  One idea that Elkind shared during his keynote was that good experiences are the best preparation for bad experiences, and bad experiences only prepare you for bad experiences.  He gave the example of children who were directly affected by the events of 9/11. Researchers followed some of these children for several years, and found that the children who had no prior traumas were able to better cope with the events of 9/11. Children who had already experienced trauma in their lives were more adversely affected by the events. Their prior bad experiences did not make the bad experience of 9/11 easier to handle.

His words made me think about our current emphasis on standardized tests and the academic push into our early childhood classrooms. High-stakes tests; the weeks and months that go into preparing for them; and “kill and drill” scripted curricula have turned education into a “bad experience” for many of our elementary, middle and high school students. Pressures  from the federal, state and local policy makers has trickled down to our youngest students. (See previous post Kinder Kindergartens, Please) And with Arne Duncans’s Race to the Top, it looks as though these pressures will continue.

What is the best way to prepare our youngest students for the inevitable bad experiences (high-stakes testing for example) they will encounter? Do we give them more bad experiences? Do we take away playful learning, child-centered curricula, developmentally appropriate expectations and engaging environments? Do we remove all that we know is good for young children’s learning and replace it with didactic instruction that kills curiosity and threatens to turn kids off to school?  Or, do we make our children’s early experiences rich with discovery; full of language; and complete with secure relationships?

I had the chance to ask Dr. Elkind about this connection I was making between what he said, and the pressures of high-stakes testing. He replied that hadn’t thought about it quite that way – but agreed it was a valuable point. He stands with the many early childhood experts who have made a public statement about the new Common Core Standards, and the negative impact the current draft will have on early childhood classrooms.  There are just two more days to comment on the current draft of the Common Core Standards, and the early childhood push-back is getting some attention. If you haven’t already, please visit the Alliance for Childhood website today and learn more about the standards and how to comment on them. I urge you to do what you can to help secure good experiences for our children in the early years – and help prepare them for what lies ahead – both good and bad.

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“Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to [...]]]>

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