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Do You Need Recess?

In busy school schedules, recess takes a back seat. Should this be changed?

By Mackenzie Carro

From the November 2023 Issue

Learning Objective: to read and analyze a text that presents arguments on both sides of a debate, then take a stand

Lexile: 1070L

Featured Skill: Argument Writing,

Other Key Skills: identifying central ideas and details, evaluating an argument, using text evidence

Listen to this debate read aloud.

Madeleine Hamilton couldn’t contain her excitement. The principal of her school in Franklin, Tennessee, had just made an announcement, and it was big: Recess was coming back!

Each day, Madeleine and her sixth-grade classmates would get 20 minutes to have fun outside. They could perfect their jump shots, catch up with friends, kick a soccer ball—the possibilities were endless.

In most middle schools, though, recess isn’t part of the school day. Only nine states currently have laws that mandate recess, and most districts don’t have a formal recess policy.

But now, some schools are bringing back recess. Should all middle schools do the same?

Brain Breaks

Recess—scheduled free time during the school day—dates back more than a century. But in the 1980s, American students began scoring lower in reading and math than students in other countries. As a result, schools began cutting recess to make time for extra instruction in these subject areas.

Yet research has shown that breaks can actually facilitate learning. How can spending 20 minutes chatting about Star Wars, tossing around a ball, or simply sitting on a bench doing nothing help you with algebra?

According to Dr. Robert Murray, a pediatrician who has studied the benefits of recess, taking breaks throughout the school day gives your brain a chance to rest and process what you’ve learned. Moving from class to class with no break, on the other hand, can overwhelm your brain, making it more difficult to retain new information.

For this reason, some countries that outshine the U.S. in test scores, including Finland and Japan, have multiple breaks a day.

On the other hand, adding recess to schedules that are already jam-packed wouldn’t be easy. There is only so much time in one school day after all. Getting recess could mean you wind up with shorter lunch periods or less time to go from class to class.

Get Moving

Still, those in favor of recess point out an important benefit: Recess can support physical and mental health. Daily physical activity, whether it’s dancing, running, or just strolling around the track, is associated with lower rates of depression and obesity. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids spend at least 60 minutes per day being physically active.

For middle schoolers who juggle extracurriculars, homework, and family responsibilities, however, it can sometimes be tough to carve out time for physical activity. Having recess can help. It ensures that there will be at least some time each day to get up and move.

Of course, recess also requires an adult to monitor students to make sure everyone stays safe. Many schools may not have the funding to pay someone to do this job.

What’s more, play can sometimes get out of hand and lead to injuries like sprained ankles and broken wrists, especially when schoolyard sports get intense.

Yet there are plenty of people who say the benefits of recess outweigh any drawbacks.

Madeleine, for one, is among them.