Will Bachman For those who want a better future for kids bring recess into the upper grades so you can help kids greatly in many areas of life. Many people have very different viewpoints on this topic that continues to be debated today. Some people say that recess is very important while others argue that it is not as beneficial as others make it out to be and is not worth it. Recess in the upper grades supposedly help kids in many areas but is being debated constantly. Recess should be included in the upper grades of school because it helps kids concentrate, improves behavior, and gives kids a base for a healthier life. The first reason that recess should be included in the upper grades is because it can help …show more content…
The ICSU or International Christian School Uijongbu conducted a study on what would happen when kids in middle school were given a recess. ICSU saw the number of detentions drop drastically in the three months before was 59 and the three months after a mere 19. A middle school teacher by the name of Anna Monroe-Stover told Scholastic "I wonder how grown-ups would like it if their bosses took away their lunch hours and dictated how they spent it." Another teacher Jennifer Fortson wrote to Scholastic saying "In my district, recess was cut to 30 minutes PER WEEK by fifth grade, and I can speak first-hand to the discipline problems that arise because kiddos have no outlet for their energy." which is not middle school but can definitely translate with only a one year difference. Research by Scholastic also shows that students with recess are less fidgety, have better leadership skills, take turns, and resolve conflicts easier. With their now improved behavior, they can focus on the classroom without causing problems for the administration to deal with. The third and final reason that recess should be part of the schedule in the upper grades is improved academic performance. The ICSU gave a survey to the eight teachers that participated and every single one said that recess was beneficial to kids success in the classroom. The seventh-grade English teacher said that her students had a …show more content…
A teacher from ICSU said this about the class after recess“Less time is wasted, so we get to work faster with less transition time needed.” “In order to add the break without restructuring the entire school day, the administration at ICSU added 5 from the end of the fourth-period class and took 5 minutes from the beginning of the fifth-period class, thus adding 10 minutes to the lunch period.”(Lounds). Cost wise the Peaceful Playgrounds company supplies many games and activities for kids for $5,000 which is a much cheaper alternative than the $150,000 of playground equipment. Supervision would be another factor in cost but it is being offset greatly by the many nonprofit organizations such as Playworks who provide trained coaches and supervisors to low-income neighborhoods. Playworks is expanding to, they went from 15 to 25 cities in just one year and many other organizations continue popping up all over the