Empowered by Play » recess

The Rightful Return of Recess

Geralyn — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 13:21:35 +0000

Did you see this headline earlier this week in the New York Times?!?

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

Fighting to reclaim kindergarten? Watch this video…then share it!

Geralyn — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 17:34:54 +0000

One of the best new resources I have seen is a powerful video by the Gesell Institute, The Role of Play in the Overly-Academic Kindergarten. The Gesell Institute of Human Development is a non-profit organization located on the Yale campus. Their seven and half minute video is a clear look at what works in kindergarten – and how the academic push-down in this country, and our focus on raising test scores – has gotten us seriously off track. This resource can help teachers everywhere explain to parents how young children actually learn – through play. Many parents have heard that “earlier is better” and are nervous about “wasting time on play”. For them, learning that research actually supports the long term benefits of play in the classroom will go a long way to alleviating their concerns. September is the month of Open Houses and Back to School Nights at many schools throughout our country. Imagine the potential power that can be unleashed if kindergarten teachers show this video to parents. Imagine if more parents start advocating for playful learning and start putting pressure on administrators and policy makers to return our kindergarten classrooms to kindergarten classrooms (instead of first grades!). The Internet is our powerful friend here, and I urge you to spread the word about this video.

The video can also help parents who are frustrated with their child’s stressful kindergarten experience show their school administrators a better alternative. An Alliance for Childhood report found that teachers and principals in the same school often differed in how they talked about play “…including emphasis, allotment of time, urgency, priority, and degree of conflict with other activities.” Teachers often feel their hands are tied, and while they know their students need more active, hands-on learning, their administrators are pushing worksheets, workbooks and flashcards. Parents can use this video to help push administrators to think about the misguided policies they are imposing.

I know I’ll be sharing it with the leaders in my local school district, whom I have been trying to work with for close to a year now – ever since my sons encountered public school kindergarten. The pendulum needs to swing back toward developmentally appropriate kindergarten. The time has come for it. It needs our help, though, to gain momentum, and this video is a fantastic tool for it. Thank you, Gesell Institute!

Playful learning is more than just Sight Word Bingo

Kinder kindergartens, please

One Teacher’s Story

Dear Michelle Obama:

Geralyn — Thu, 13 May 2010 12:52:14 +0000

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

Agents of change

Geralyn — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 02:07:17 +0000

Today I write about two unique opportunities. Your voice can help make this country a better place for children and play. First, as I’ve written recently, the Common Core Standards are now available for public comment at www.corestandards.org (until April 2nd). The current draft for kindergarten includes:

“Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.”

“Use the most common affixes in English (e.g., -ed, -s, re-, un-, pre-, -ful, -less) as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word.”

“Say the number name sequence forward or backward beginning from a given number within the known sequence (instead of always beginning at 1).”

“Understand that names of shapes apply regardless of the orientation or overall size of the shape.”

As you may recall, Alliance for Childhood recently released a joint statement about the Common Core Standards signed by concerned early childhood experts from across the country. (Here is an excerpt from that statement: “Young children learn best in active, hands-on ways and in the context of meaningful real-life experiences. New research shows that didactic instruction of discrete reading and math skills has already pushed play-based learning out of many kindergartens.”)

The statement has already impacted the Common Core Standards, with some small changes having been made. (Now kindergarten students must know haw to write most upper and lowercase letters instead of all upper and lower case letters.) There is a chance that we can make an even bigger impact. The Alliance for Childhood website has links to all the early childhood standards and ideas about how to respond to the survey. I filled one in yesterday, and urge you to do the same – before the comment period closes. Currently (according to Catherine Gewetrz of Education Week) the comments being submitted about the standards are 75% positive and 25% negative. Let’s get that negative percentage higher and get some attention! Also, for more information and ideas about the Common Core Standards, Race to the Top, No Child Left Behind and more…you can also check out the insightful exchanges between Deborah Meier and Diane Ravitch on the Bridging Differences blog in Ed Week.

Another way to speak out on behalf of children is to encouraging Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign to include recess in their plan to fight childhood obesity. Check out this recent blog post for more on that. Currently, and only for the next few days, there is a chance to send your comments and ideas to the task force at Let’s Move. Click here to send in your ideas. Last week I was talking with a frustrated mom who has a very sad little 6 year-old daughter. Every day, her daughter has to “earn” her recess, and sometimes she just isn’t able to. On those days, she gets off the bus crying. To me, that is outrageous and unacceptable. Recess belongs in the school day, for exercise, relieving stress and having some fun!

I hope you find some moments in the next day or so to use your voice on behalf of children and play. And I urge you to spread the word about these two unique opportunities.

Recess (It’s not just for Congressmen.)

Geralyn — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:24:07 +0000

“I am so happy!” my son declared recently as he got off the school bus. What made him so happy that day? In a word: recess. His class had gone outside to play.

So much is working against recess these days – with one major factor being the high stakes testing that came with No Child Left Behind. Feeling the pressure to raise test scores, schools everywhere have opted to eliminate recess. Even younger grades feel the pressure – with less and less time for unstructured play. When high-stakes tests are administered to older elementary students, the K-2 children are often held indoors so as not to distract the students taking the tests. In Massachusetts some communities have offered a test prep Boot Camp for elementary students during the week of February vacation. I once heard a local politician announce to a group of 4th graders who had just finished their “vacation” in this program. “Congratulations,” he told them. “You’ve done a great job. Now go on and enjoy the 72 hours you have left of vacation!” He didn’t realize how utterly absurd his words sounded. Around the country, time for free play in the afternoons or Saturdays has been turned over to similar test prep programs.

I am hoping that Michelle Obama’s new focus on childhood obesity, “Let’s Move“, might bring back recess – though surprisingly (or not) it isn’t yet part of her plan. The physical activity portion of her plan focuses on the time before and after school. These include finding safe routes for walking or biking to and from school, building community playgrounds, reducing screen-time, playing together as a family, and other worthwhile pursuits.

Why is recess not included in her plan? Why the obvious oversight? A recent press release from the Alliance for Childhood provides compelling evidence that recess is beneficial, including fighting obesity and the strong positive effect recess has on learning. This evidence is clear, so the fact that Michelle Obama did not include it leads me to wonder. Is it that the new Race to the Top federal funding program doesn’t leave room for recess?

The childhood obesity epidemic is real – and her efforts are noble and necessary. But she’s missing a key element of the problem: recess during the school day. It’s vital.

Alliance for Childhood’s press release on free play and obesity – A must read!

Geralyn — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:28:40 +0000

Alliance for Childhood released the following statement yesterday. Here they present compelling evidence and arguments in favor of recess and other unstructured free play opportunities for our children. This short piece is packed with current information and valuable resources for parents and professionals who are aiming to bring play back into the lives of our children. Thank you, Alliance for Childhood! - GBMc

www.allianceforchildhood.org

Contacts: Ed Miller, Senior Researcher, 917-363-1982, ed@allianceforchildhood.org;

Joan Almon, Executive Director, 301-699-9058, 301-801-5293, joan.almon@verizon.net

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Free Play Is the Missing Link in Anti-Obesity Campaign, Says Children’s Health Group

Exercise and Nutrition Programs Alone Won’t Turn the Tide of Fatness

College Park, MD, February 5, 2010—The fight to defeat childhood obesity can’t be won unless we start focusing on children’s free play, which has dwindled just as their weight has ballooned, according to the Alliance for Childhood, a nonprofit partnership of health professionals and educators.

“We’re delighted that Michelle Obama has taken up this issue as her major focus as First Lady,” says Joan Almon, executive director of the Alliance. “Efforts to reverse the obesity epidemic have until now focused almost entirely on improved nutrition and physical activity—with disappointing results. The missing ingredient in this recipe is play—good old-fashioned child-initiated play, the kind that used to keep children moving and active for hours each day.”

Mrs. Obama launched her obesity campaign this week, saying, “Many parents around this country are struggling with this issue…and are looking for ways to help.” The answer, says the Alliance for Childhood, is simple: remember what your own mother told you when you were a child.

“Moms used to say, ‘Go outside and don’t come home until supper,’ ” says Almon. “Children ranged over the whole neighborhood. They played without direct adult supervision—although more mothers were at home and kept an ear open for the sounds of play. There were few fights or other problems. Somehow children managed, and they were physically active for long periods, because they never ran out of ideas for play.”

Many pediatricians agree. “Encouraging unstructured play may be an exceptional way to increase physical activity levels in children, which is one important strategy in the resolution of the obesity epidemic,” wrote Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in a clinical report for the American Academy of Pediatrics.[i] Ginsburg is a member of the Alliance for Childhood national advisory board.

“Emphasize activity, not exercise,” say childhood obesity experts at the Mayo Clinic. “Your child’s activity doesn’t have to be a structured exercise program—the object is just to get him or her moving. Free-play activities, such as playing hide-and-seek, tag, or jump-rope, can be great for burning calories and improving fitness.”[ii]

The Academy of Pediatrics calls for “unorganized outdoor free play” as an important strategy for fighting obesity in a policy statement issued in 2006 and reaffirmed this month. The Academy also downplays organized sports, especially for younger children.

“Organized sports …should have flexible rules and short instruction time, allowfree time in practices, and focus on enjoyment rather than competition,” says the policy statement.^“These children [6- to 9-year-olds] have a limited ability to learn team strategy.”[iii] Even with older children and teens, coaches find that devoting some of their practice time to letting youngsters organize their own games keeps their enthusiasm for the sport at a high level—and keeps them moving.

A study conducted by Dr. Lou Bowers, Professor Emeritus of Physical Education at the University of South Florida, found that “free play, unlike organized activities, gives children the health benefits [of exercise] with little to no prompting to encourage the activity. Furthermore, it is an activity that children of all ages, sizes, and abilities can benefit from equally, with no team pressures, physical preferences, or singling out, as is sometimes the case with other activities.”[iv]

And it’s not just physical health that free play enhances. Children also learn better when they are allowed to play. A new report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation says that “overwhelmingly, principals reported that recess has a strong positive impact on academic achievement. Students listened better and were more focused after recess. And principals widely agreed that recess positively impacts social development and well-being.”[v]

The Alliance argues that, for a variety of reasons, unprogrammed and make-believe play among children has declined, and this has contributed to obesity and other health problems. “Children used to spend hours tunneling in the snow, building forts, and racing home-made go-karts—with occasional breaks to collect their breath, come up with new play ideas, or just sit and contemplate nature,” says Almon. “Children organized their own games like sandlot baseball or pond hockey and established the rules. They negotiated new rules as the situation required. The goal was to keep everyone in the game and playing all the time, so there was much more physical activity for each child than in traditional sports leagues where much time is spent sitting out, and the rules are set by adults and are non-negotiable.”

A group of Canadian obesity researchers found that “focusing on reducing sedentary behavior and encouraging free play has been more effective than focusing on forced exercise or reducing food intake in preventing already obese children from gaining more weight.”[vi]

One obstacle to children’s free play is the absence of nearby playgrounds. A 2008 Canadian study found that “children with a park playground within one kilometer were almost five times more likely to be classified as being of a healthy weight … compared to those children without playgrounds in nearby parks.”[vii]

Still, many modern parents are simply afraid to send their children out to play. Some of these fears, say play advocates, are overblown.

“The rise inchildhood obesity is paralleled by the rise in parental fearsof the risks to children of being unaccompanied outdoors,” writes Alan Sutton of the Westminster Play Association in London. “Ifind it strange that the simple solution, to let children playoutside more, is dismissed as impossible in our modern society.Stranger-danger is largely a myth promoted by the mass media,yet there are few voices raised against it…. Parents’ refusal to allow free play for their children is nowbecoming embedded in a system of parental peer pressure whereby parents are afraid to allow children out for fear of being labeleduncaring (or worse) by their peers.”[viii]

Joan Almon acknowledges that some neighborhoods really are too dangerous for completely unsupervised play, and that even in safe places it’s no fun to go out to play if there’s no one to play with. “Parents need to know there is some adult oversight,” she says. “In the U.K. this is provided by thousands of professional playworkers in parks and other settings. The U.S. needs the same thing.”

Many parents and community leaders are organizing for play with the help of play advocacy organizations. For example:

Playborhood offers tips for parents on organizing free play times for children in your neighborhood (see playborhood.com);
The International Play Association (ipausa.org) and Wild Zones (wild-zone.net) help to organize outdoor play days in parks;
Too many schools offer little or no recess, or monitor it so tightly that children cannot run or play traditional games; Playworks (playworksusa.org) works with schools to change that;
The Alliance for Childhood (allianceforchildhood.org) offers materials and workshops on the art of playwork, helping park, playground, after-school, and early childhood professionals understand play and how to support it without dominating it;
A national play coalition (usplaycoalition.clemson.edu) and a local one in New York City (nycplay.org) are spreading the word about the importance of play;
KaBOOM! (kaboom.org) has helped hundreds of communities around the country build new playgrounds and advocates for more time and access to safe play places.

[i] American Academy of Pediatricts clinical report, 2007; http://www.aap.org/pressroom/playFINAL.pdf

[ii] Mayo Clinic, 2008; http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/childhood-obesity/DS00698/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs

[iii] American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement, 2006; http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;117/5/1834

[iv] Healthy Play Research, 2003; http://www.opraonline.org/pdf/bowersobesitystudy.pdf

[v] “The State of Play,” 2010; http://www.rwjf.org/vulnerablepopulations/product.jsp?id=55249

[vi] “Childhood Obesity, Prevalence and Prevention,” Nutrition Journal, 2005; http://www.nutritionj.com/content/4/1/24#B65

[vii] “Places to Play: Association of Park Space and Facilities with Healthy Weight Status Among Children,” Journal of Community Health, 2008; http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/579605

[viii] “Play Outside to Reduce Childhood Obesity,” British Medical Journal, 2004; http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/329/7456/54-a

Playful learning is more than just Sight Word BINGO

Geralyn — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 23:34:07 +0000

This weekend my sons had four days off from school. They played and built; wrote thank you notes and get well cards; did some baking with their dad and helped clean the house. An excellent time all around.

I am worried tonight, though, because I know tomorrow will be tough for my two five-year-olds. Kindergarten these days is not what it used to be, and my boys are not happy about it.

This weekend I also met other parents (from other schools) at the local playground. Their young sons, too, are feeling the stress of not having time to play at school. With all the current mandated assessments, it is getting harder and harder for teachers to keep recess, let alone incorporate child-directed and playful learning into their “academic” day.

At best, good teachers struggle daily to balance what they know is appropriate for their students with what they have to do to keep their jobs. At worst, confused and misguided teachers label behavior problems as emotional issues – when in truth, expectations are inappropriate and their students are visibly suffering. These days, there are kindergarten teachers who believe “playful learning” constitutes a few minutes playing “Math facts beanbag toss” or “Sight Word BINGO”. However, I am advocating child-centered, adult-supported play that leads to questions and discoveries. I am talking about dramatic play and block building that evolves over days and weeks, with the children making decisions. And the teachers involved can listen and ask questions in a manner that expands and deepens the play. These rich and playful moments in kindergarten classrooms are getting harder and harder to find.

Consider one kindergarten teacher’s story chronicled in the current issue of Rethinking Schools:

“The students in my classroom during the 2008-09 school year completed more assessments than during any of my prior years of teaching kindergarten:

Milwaukee Public Schools’ 5-Year-Old Kindergarten Assessment (completed three times a year)
On the Mark Reading Verification Assessment (completed three times a year)
A monthly writing prompt focused on different strands of the Six Traits of Writing
28 assessments measuring key early reading and spelling skills
Chapter pre- and post-tests for all nine math chapters completed
Three additional assessments for each math chapter completed
A monthly math prompt
Four Classroom Assessments Based on Standards (CABS) per social studies chapter (20 total)
Four CABS assessments per science chapter (20 total)
Four CABS assessments per health chapter (20 total)

I recently learned that my students will also be expected to complete four benchmark assessments beginning in the 2010-11 school year.

This list does not include the pre- and post-Marzano vocabulary tests (which I refuse to have my students complete because the assessment design is entirely developmentally inappropriate) or the writing and math portfolios we are required to keep.”

Click here to read Kelly McMahon’s full story, Testing Kindergarten.

Back in 2002 my friend Debbie Meier gave me a copy of Susan Ohanian’s book What Happened to Recess and Why are our Children Struggling in Kindergarten? I always remember the opening of the book where Ohanian talks about the protections that animals and insects have on Hollywood film sets. Apes on movie sets have time and space to play – and the American Humane Association is there to enforce the scheduled breaks. Why don’t our children have the same rights? Sadly, things have only gotten worse since Ohanian’s book was published. With Arne Duncan’s Race to the Top and the push for national core standards, I worry how much worse things can get. For more food foe thought, check out Alfie Kohn’s essay in Education Week - Debunking the Case for National Standards: One-Size-Fits-All Mandates and Their Dangers.

The disappearance of play is a systemic problem, and I’ll do what I can by talking with district leaders and sharing the Alliance for Childhood’s report Crisis in the Kindergarten: Why Children Need to Play in School. I am thankful for my sons’ teachers who are doing what they can to keep the learning playful, and I will do what I can to help kindergarten classrooms everywhere return to developmentally appropriate “kinder gardens”.

P.S. With the launching of the new Empowered by Play website (don’t you love it?!) I have crossed over from Blogger to WordPress. Some posts imported nicely, others are a little funky – with spacing issues, etc. If you see any links that aren’t working or anything else seriously amiss, please let me know. Thanks!

NY Times article, "Bringing Girls into the Game"

Geralyn — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:59:00 +0000

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/15/sports/15girls.html

This was a great article in today’s NY Times about programs designed to switch up some of the deep gender divides on the playground and in sports. I felt that some of the posted comments missed the boat, so of course I had to add my two cents:

“After reading these responses, I am compelled to respond. I agree that some, ‘healthy neglect’ is a good thing for kids and recreation, but letting, ‘kids be kids’ isn’t as easy as it used to be. The gender divides perpetuated by toy manufacturers and our commercial culture are more entrenched than ever. This article was about opening doors and increasing options for kids. That is a good thing. I applaud the teacher who encouraged the girls to switch their game to “gym teacher”. It gives the girls a new way to think about their game. Finally, I have worked with Sports4Kids and it is actually a great model for engaging boys who aren’t drawn to the competition of sports, but like to play.”

Are we preparing children for life or for standarized tests?

Geralyn — Thu, 14 May 2009 18:18:00 +0000

Here is just one more way that NCLB (No Child Left Behind) and the current focus on high-stakes testing is hurting our kids…no more school visits from firefighters to teach fire safety. Unbelievable! Yesterday I met a firefighter-educator who can no longer visit schools. They just don’t have time for him, since what he is teaching kids isn’t on the test. If he is lucky, he can convince a school to give him 15 minutes. And that’s the exception. Most schools just say no. So it begs the question, “Are we preparing children for life or for standardized tests?” I’ll be posing that question in a letter to the editor of our local paper. Maybe the next time a child dies in a fire, the obit will include how well he did on the state tests. “His life is lost, but we are proud to report he brought our district average up.“

So how does this relate to play? Well, the frenzy which NCLB has created has forced many schools to abandon solid curriculum and even eliminate recess. School districts feel the pressure from the state, the school principals feel the pressure from the district, teachers feel the pressure from school administration, and students feel the pressure from everywhere. Even students who are too young for statewide tests feel the pressure when they are forced to stay inside for fear their laughter on the playground will distract the test-takers. This is true. I have heard from many teachers that recess is literally on hold for the spring weeks of testing. Ouch,
that hurts.

Footnote: Some of the same schools that are saying “No” to fire safety presentations are saying “Yes” to Ronald McDonald visits. Hmm. What’s wrong with this picture?