New Haven Independent

Loss Of Recess Time Decried

by Allan Appel | March 10, 2009 1:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)

(Updated) As these kids took a break from class to clamber over a jungle gym, a local educator scored the city school system for depriving young learners of enough recess and play time.

The kids played in the sun Tuesday afternoon at the Worthington Hooker Elementary School, where students still enjoy traditional recess. Recess has been eliminated at seven city schools.

Meanwhile, Marcy Guddemi, the director of the Gesell Institute, New Haven’s pioneering child development organization, argued students should be given more creative play time.

“I understand the political and parental pressures, I feel for the teachers’ pain — and many are doing wonderful jobs despite, that is, trying to get around the academic pressure — but, please let the children play,” she said, in a recent interview at her offices on Prospect Street at Edwards.

By “play,” she was talking about far more than just recess.

The interview was the occasion both of National Recess Week and also a reflection after the first anniversary of Guddemi’s arrival at Gesell to revitalize the organization. Click here to read a previous article.

School system spokeswoman Michelle Wade disagreed with many of Guddemi’s observations.

Gesell’s fame is based on its research. As to recess, Guddemi said, the research on it, like climate change, is incontrovertible: play supports academic achievement, social development, and diminishes behavior problems.

Guddemi (pictured) said she understands the exigencies of political pressures on superintendents and principals, personnel shortages, safety issues, and other reasons forcing the decline of the full, 20-minute recess period. But she thinks it’s short-sighted.

“Maybe if they renamed it ‘outdoor learning,’ that would make a difference,” she said.

In an email message, Wade noted the New Haven Public Schools were in compliance with the state’s relevant mandated requirement, namely that each district “include in the regular school day for each student enrolled in grades kindergarten to five, inclusive, a period of physical exercise …” The exercise, she said, is either traditional recess and/or the school’s increasing use of Take Ten and other in-classroom “deskercize.”

Those are desk-side stretches or crunches often linked to academic games. In operation in 18 schools, the various deskercize programs are part of the system’s Physical Activities and Wellness (PAW) program, which include health committees that sponsor a variety of better lifestyle activities for kids. PAW has received recognition and is becoming a model state-wide, and yet even this program is struggling for the private, foundation grants that keep it going.

Traditional recess currently functions in select grades at 26 of the city’s 33 elementary schools, usually dovetailing with the lunch period, Wade reported. Click here to view a list of participating schools.

“Some schools,” she reported, “use paraprofessionals for supervision of recess, and that could be impacted by layoffs.” The paraprofessional union is slated to lose 20 positions at the end of the school year.

Guddemi said she understood the pressures, fiscal and supervisory, but that in her view the value of recess should be preserved and expanded in the system. “I would encourage them to get more parent volunteers involved, for example. It’s that important.”

Of equal concern to Guddemi is the absence of old fashioned play time for three and four year-olds in the school readiness, Head Start, and early childhood classrooms that serve several thousand of the youngest learners in the city school system. “There are marvelous teachers there,” she said, “but I’m not sure of the wisdom of having infused into what they call their creative curriculum so much, well, academics. That’s a kind of contradiction.”

Guddemi was referring to units titled “Breakthrough to Literacy” and “Little Scientist” as well as a math learning program that she said are required for the three-to-four-year-olds.

In “Breakthrough to Literacy, for example,” she said all the kids are required to use the computer every day. “But what if a little child doesn’t want to get on the computer on a given day. Do you force them?”

“Kids learn at their own rates,” Guddemi said, “and when we force them to do this or that and they’re not ready, we create emotional blocks to learning. Do you know the average age kids learn to read is six and a half?”

In light of that, Guddemi said she is seriously concerned with the requirement that no child is allowed to leave kindergarten without being able to read, as is her understanding of the NHPS policy. “Long term,” she said, “there is no scientific basis for concluding that a child who learns to read at three is going to do better than one who learns to read at six or even seven.”

Wade, on behalf of the school board, countered that all her intelligence from classroom teachers said that free and dramatic play were built into all the pre-K learning environments; that the kids using “Breakthrough to Literacy” love it, and that no kid is ever forced to use a computer.

“Believe me,” Guddemi continued, “we could address the achievement gap and create people who love to read if we had quality early childhood education,” and by quality she meant more time available for kids to learn without pressure. “If we push reading onto kids who are not ready, we create blocks, complexes. We really are creating our own remediation problems later.”

As to the reading requirement for kindergarten, Wade wrote, “the state has expectations about what a child should learn in pre-K, but reading is not a determining factor to entering kindergarten.”

Parents, kids’ first teachers, of course need to know these things. To that end Guddemi has launched a program called Parent-Teacher Connection, in three early childhood settings to work with parents, as well as teachers, to help them understand the stages of childhood development.

Gesell’s mission, under Guddemi, has also included working with the New Haven Early Childhood Council and organizing seminars for NHPS early child education supervisors. “When we showed them our video of what an ideal classroom, based on the research, looks like, with an area for play with blocks, and so on, they said, ‘We’re not allowed to play!’”

Another bee in Guddemi’s educational bonnet is why the NHPS does not have a person in charge, a supervisor, dedicated specifically to kindergarten or at least to the early grades. (There are supervisors dedicated to the early childhood learning, up to kindergarten).

“My understanding is that the K-12 supervisor for reading is in charge of reading in kindergarten and the K-12 math supervisor does the math, but that’s really absurd,” said Guddemi. “The way learning goes on at these young ages is so different; it’s critical someone be in charge of that.”

When Guddemi (pictured with Gesell’s operations manager Annette Watert and the new coffee maker) came to town a year ago, she said she wanted to make some noise, and she has, quietly enough. She’s consulted with Teach Our Children, the grassroots parental advocacy group, especially in their campaign for more recess; she approves the results but not the confrontational style.

Wade said that Tina Mannerino, the NHPS’s director of early childhood education, was in general surprised to hear Guddemi’s concerns about the system’s early childhood education approaches.

On the busy Guddemi agenda for this year, in addition to promoting Gesell research products, seminars, and consultations nationally, she said is arranging a meeting with Dr. Mayo about early childhood programs in general in the city.

“It’s a really good time,” she said, “what with Obama and the people he is bringing in to oversee Head Start and similar programs. They really get it.”

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Posted by: Beansie's Mom | March 10, 2009 4:19 PM

Actually, a number of private schools still have recess. I'm aware of a number of Catholic schools that have recess. It's amazing how they can fit both Recess and a Religion class into the same school day tht the NH Public Schools have. How do they do it?

Posted by: ROBN | March 10, 2009 4:59 PM

Play is very important and should be enforced.

Just kidding. I really do believe that its important and its too bad there isn't room for it in some schools.

Posted by: WHS Recess-Wellness | March 10, 2009 6:59 PM

"The kids enjoyed a break in the sun Tuesday afternoon at the Worthington Hooker Elementary School, which does not have a traditional recess period, according to the school system."...

Actually, back in 2005, the WHS community agreed with the experts about the importance of consistent recess and it was reimplemented at the school.

First a Recess-Wellness Committee was formed and then an e-mail survey showed clear support for consistent daily outdoor recess (weather permitting of course). No one was not in favor of it.

Then we approached NHPS' with our concerns and the result of our meetings with school staff and NHPS' previous COO Robin Golden (who also chaired NHPS' Wellness Committee) was that an individual school community could decide what is appropriate for their particular school, IE follow their own Wellness Policy. (WHS adopted CT DoE's "Action Guide for School Nutrition and Physical Activity Policies" *)

Then the WHS students proved their desire for consistent outdoor recess by writing more "Rescuing Recess" letters than any other school in the state and won $5,000 in a National PTA contest.

*CT DoE's 276 pg. "Action Guide for School Nutrition and Physical Activity Policies" provides comprehensive guidance for school districts on developing and implementing policies to promote healthy eating and physical activity. It references over 93 works and 642 resources and was reviewed by an outside committee representing 21 health and education organizations in Connecticut.

Some relevant policy sections:

Sec. 4, pg. 2 in pdf (pg. 70 in book); Daily Recess
"All elementary school students shall have at least 20 minutes a day of supervised recess, preferably outdoors, during which schools should encourage moderate to vigorous physical activity and provide space, equipment and an environment that is conducive to safe and enjoyable activity. Districts shall ensure that students with special physical and cognitive needs have equal physical activity opportunities, with appropriate assistance and services. Districts shall discourage extended periods (Le., periods of two or more hours) of inactivity. When activities, such as mandatory schoolwide testing, make it necessary for students to remain indoors for long periods of time, schools shall give students periodic breaks during which they are encouraged to get up from their chairs and be moderately active. Districts shall prohibit withholding of recess or the use of exercise as punishment, and shall develop alternative practices for promoting appropriate behavior. Recess shall not be withheld as a consequence of incomplete school assignments."

Daily Physical Education K-12
"All students in Grades K-12, including students with disabilities and special health-care needs and in alternative educational settings, shall receive daily physical education (150 minutes per week for elementary school students and 225 minutes per week for middle and high school students) for the entire school year. All physical education shall be taught by a certified physical education teacher. Student involvement in other activities involving physical activity (e.g., interscholastic or intramural sports) shall not be substituted for meeting the physical education requirement. Students shall spend at least 50 percent of physical education class time participating in moderate to vigorous physical activity."

Sec. 4, pg.9-10 in pdf (pg 77-78 in book); Daily Recess -- Guidelines for Recess
"Quality physical education and daily recess are necessary components of the school curriculum that enable students to develop physical competence, health-related fitness, self-responsibility, and enjoyment of physical activity so that they can be physically active for a lifetime. Recess should not replace physical education. Recess is unstructured playtime where children have choices, develop rules for play and release energy and stress. It is an opportunity for children to practice or use skills developed in physical education class. The following guidelines for recess are adapted with permission from NASPE's Recess in Elementary Schools (2001).
- Schools should develop schedules that provide for supervised, daily recess in pre-kindergarten through Grades 5 or 6.
- The use of facilities for recess activities should not interfere with instructional classes
(separate locations for each activity).
- If possible, recess should not be scheduled back-to-back with physical education classes.
- Recess should not be viewed as a reward but a necessary educational support component for all children. Students should not be denied recess as a means of punishment or to make up work.
- Periods of moderate physical activity should be encouraged and facilitated, while recognizing that recess should provide opportunities for children to make choices.
- Children should be encouraged to be physically active at recess so that recess provides some of children's daily recommended activity time.
- Schools should provide the facilities, equipment and supervision necessary to ensure that the recess experience is productive, safe and enjoyable. Developmentally appropriate equipment, as outlined in NASPE's Guidelines for Facilities, Equipment and Instructional Materials, should be made available. Adults should regularly check equipment and facilities for safety.
- Physical education teachers and classroom teachers should teach children positive skills for self-responsibility during recess.
- Adults should direct or intervene when a child's physical or emotional safety is an issue. Bullying or aggressive behavior must not be allowed, and all safety rules should be enforced.
Recess Before Lunch
Scheduling recess before lunch is an effective strategy to increase meal consumption and promote better behavior. Students who play before they eat have improved behavior on the playground, in the cafeteria and classroom. They waste less food and drink more milk, which leads to increased nutrient intake. The cafeteria atmosphere is improved during mealtime, and children are more settled and ready to learn upon returning to the classroom. Recess Before Lunch: A Guide to Success (Montana Office of Public Instruction, 2003) provides schools with strategies for promoting and implementing recess before lunch (http://www.opi.state.mt.us/schoolfood/recessBL.html). Additional resources are found in Recess under Resources at the end of this section."

Even the "TAKE 10" promotional brochure states that "Children should participate in 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on all or most days of the week."

Posted by: Interesting | March 10, 2009 8:09 PM

So let me get this straight.. this woman Guddemi is supposedly some expert:
she doesn't think the school system does early childhood/preschool/headstart right,
wants recess no matter the cost,
and wants some new costly administrator for early grades (maybe she knows someone she wants hired?)..
But she has been in town a year and NOT talked with any administrator in the system (yet), and instead takes her complaints straight to the news?
Doesn't sound like she's very good at HER job.

Posted by: lauraa | March 10, 2009 9:45 PM

This is the kind of thing that can help kids learn with a price tag much lower than the millions. I remember when Hooker had that wooden playground structure. I was really upset when they replaced it. It didn't have lots of colors and textures but it had a slide and a pole you could zoom down and a ladder. Newer is not necessarily better. Bring back recess!

Posted by: Recess Is Imperative | March 10, 2009 10:41 PM

Teachers today are under more pressure from the state and federal government to produce high-performing students. What are they up against? High energy levels that, when not channeled properly, come out in the form of disruptive behaviors than interrupt the learning process. The solution seems simple: reinstate recess.

When I was in elementary school in the '80s, we had recess up until 5th grade. And up through 2nd or 3rd grade, we had two recess periods per day--one in the morning and one in the afternoon. We turned out ok, and I feel I received an excellent education. Oddly enough, I don't remember the kids in my classes being as direspectful and disruptive as kids are today. We came in, sat down, did our work, and learned. Could recess have played a role in this? I'm sure it didn't hurt. Granted, that was also a different state and a different era, and there are many other factors that contribute to the learning process, but still....

(I do speak from experience on this--I am now an elementary teacher.)

Posted by: Tom Burns | March 10, 2009 11:14 PM

Gudemmi is right on----it would cost nothing to implement recess---the MOST important dynamic in education---please let the kids play--

Posted by: FIX THE SCHOOLS | March 11, 2009 7:49 AM

RecessES, structured or unstructured, are a healthy interlude during a learning day. Why not lengthen the school day to 9 hours and have plenty of time for both? Instead of a 6 1/2 hour day, which has been chisled down by union design over the years, perhaps we could unlock lots of time to have both plenty of recess while also imparting loads of knowledge to young students with sponge-like brains.

Posted by: East Rockette | March 11, 2009 11:34 AM

WHS Recess-Wellness - thank you for sharing the knowledge! That's a comprehensive road-map that any school community can now use for reclaiming recess. It sounds like you really had to fight hard for it.

Of course, the more efficient and humane route would be for NHPS to now issue a blanket policy reaffirming daily recess. Can we assume they're already onto it, especially given the latest research that proves what we all know anyway: that learning is only properly assimilated when children are given breaks?

Posted by: so | March 11, 2009 7:47 PM

isn't the school schedule all messed up this week because of testing? seems unfair to judge recess time in the first week of March.

Posted by: RichTherrn | March 11, 2009 8:17 PM

One of the district goals is to examine the use of time. I think it will definitely tie into the district health/wellness committee. I'm curious to see what the community thinks about the nine hour day idea!
-Richard Therrien
-NHPS Science Supervisor

Posted by: FIX THE SCHOOLS | March 12, 2009 11:56 AM

Mr. Therrien,

An extended school day is on the Obama/Duncan list. As you know, more time on task will help close our twin achievement gaps (international and domestic). In terms of what the community thinks, I think if parents understand that college is the most important anti-poverty measure they can give to their child, I am hopeful that most will embrace an extended school day - and an extended school year. Our public school students need some private school tactics.

Most highly competitive private schools have between 8-9 hour days. This counts lots of gym and or recess time but does not count the 2-3 hours of homework at night.

But I am curious. What do YOU, as an experienced yet progressive teacher think about the 9-hour day idea? What will your union say? (BTW, no one is talking about not paying for the additional time)

Posted by: RichTherrn | March 12, 2009 8:30 PM

Fix, I'm not a teacher (anymore, :( ) , I'm the district supervisor for science, overseeing all 50 plus schools and responsible for about 140 secondary science teachers, about 400 elementary science classes, curriculum, etc..(as well as the district time committee).I already work 10 plus hour days, 226 days a year (as do most administrators). Most of my science teachers put in very long days as well.. doing the prep for the labs etc.. There IS a physical limit to what teachers can put in and still prepare/deliver good lessons.. I would always fight for more time for prep and collaborate etc..
Having said that, I would've been fine with normal hr days, year round schooling.. I actually like being with students!
The question that I run into is would the community and parents support the longer learning day, even if it was the only way to fit in something like recess across the district,... especially in the upper grades where it starts to conflict with afterschool sports/activities.
But we are looking into it.. and I would be happy to be pointed to more resources on it (time).
-Richard Therrien
-NHPS Science Supervisor

Posted by: FIX THE SCHOOLS | March 13, 2009 6:49 PM

Mr. T.

Once a teacher always a teacher, I hear.

To answer your question, I think the community would embrace the idea of longer school day/year especially if the teachers strongly supported the idea. Maybe we implement some kind of shift system so that teacher burn-out is minimized.

Posted by: Parent | March 13, 2009 9:46 PM

I don't think its the parents who would would object, except for maybe the parent of the youngest children (and I would agree that a longer day might not be good for kindergarteners). The school-day is a throw-back to a time when someone was home all day and when having a child to come home at 2:45 wasn't a big deal. For working parents, of which there are many, it's a real problem not to mention all the half-days, vacations etc. Extend the day, add in plenty of exercise and more time for the arts and creativity. Many if not most teachers work hard and well beyond the school day but maybe some of that prep and planning time could occur during extended school hours.

Posted by: Lauraa | March 14, 2009 1:34 PM

Umm Fix if you're worried about teacher burnout you might also want to think about student burnout. This year I have fewer classes since I'm a senior in high school and I feel that I am much happier and more productive since I have control over my time. If you're extending the school day for the sole purpose of adding in recess time, I think that's ridiculous. At least at Hooker, students stay after school to play while their parents watch them. That's a much better option because it provides the kids with some flexibility (if you're tired you can go home, or if you take ballet class or music lessons you can go to them) and there is no extra cost to the school or drain on teacher's time.

Loss Of Recess Time Decried

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