Introduction
Recess has been a fundamental element of a regular school day for many years; however, some people consider it ineffective in the education process. This perspective argues that recess is overly playful and it harms the learning mindset. However, the article by Pellegrini rejects this idea, showing that recess has numerous notable benefits both for the well-being of the students and their learning competencies. Ultimately, the current essay summarizes Pellegrini’s findings and provides a personal reflection on the benefits of recess in schools.
Summary and Response
The purpose of the article by Pellegrini is to explain why recess in schools is an effective practice that improves overall school performance. It means that breaks have a positive impact on students’ well-being, mental health, and learning mindset. Pellegrini (2008) transparently shows that breaking down the learning process into smaller parts can boost students’ motivation to learn. Moreover, studying without breaks reduces productivity and might even lead to psychological complications among students and professors (Pellegrini, 2008). He heavily criticizes the counter position of school administrators who believe that recess is redundant because education is a “formal” process (Pellegrini, 2008). In his opinion, they do not understand the logic behind the effectiveness of recess and want to remove/reduce it due to other external factors. To prove his primary thesis, Pellegrini states two primary benefits of recess – a positive impact on learning performance and cognitive development (Pellegrini, 2008). Ultimately, the author claims that extensive academic research confirms the effectiveness of recess in schools, while there is no credible evidence against it.
I agree with the article’s primary thesis that recess is beneficial for school performance. The author’s arguments concerning the necessity of breaks in the education process and recess’s positive impact on children’s cognitive development are valid proof. They derive from extensive academic research and the personal experience of the author, who spent decades of his life studying this topic (Pellegrini, 2008). The specific example that I would like to highlight is the discussion about the cognitive “immaturity” of younger children (Pellegrini, 2008, p. 189). The author references credible research demonstrating that breaks are crucial in early education since the nervous systems of younger children cannot handle continuous effort. Ultimately, I agree with the author’s thesis because of the provided evidence and my personal experience concerning the benefits of breaks in education.
Conclusion
Recess continues to raise heated debates about the effectiveness of breaks in schools; however, according to Pellegrini, recess is an exclusively beneficial practice. It improves school performance and provides necessary breaks for students to prevent burnout. Moreover, it allocates time for children to interact with each other, positively affecting their cognitive development. Lastly, according to the author, the counterargument that recess is not a “formal” practice and does not belong in the education system derives from the egotistical wishes of school administrators who have no credible proof.
Reference
Pellegrini, A. D. (2008) The recess debate: A disjuncture between educational policy and scientific research. American Journal of Play, 1(2) pp. 181-191.