Article Summary
In his article, “The recess debate: The disjuncture between educational policy and research,” Pellegrini describes how his standard tests and research led him to discover several benefits of break time in school. The purpose was to provide evidence to clear contention on the relevance of recess. Pellegrini’s interest in standardized tests led to his desire to clarify whether respite contributes to educational development. Although some superintendents and principals have significantly reduced or eliminated breaks due to perceived wastage of valuable time, bullying, and replacement with physical education (PE), the evidence for its rewards shows it ensures distributed learning and improves cognitive growth.
The author starts by providing evidence that recess has always been a part of learning institutions. He further states that due to the complexities in assessing the importance of this time, it has faced objection, which led districts to question its necessity. The debate on the subject started during the early 1980s in the US and the UK (Pellegrini, 2008, p.181). Thus, it is helpful to provide new evidence in support of recess.
The paper proceeds by providing the points for those with a contrary stance. For instance, the no-nonsense politicians and school administrators argue that “recess is a waste of instructional time” (Pellegrini, 2008, p.182). The other point of naysayers is that children are often bullied during playtime. Thus, the researcher decided to find new evidence using a different model after establishing from observing her daughter that “children are unreliable test takers” (Pellegrini, 2008, p.184). The author used the kindergarten kids’ behavior on the playground to test his hypothesis. He discovered two main benefits of recess, including distributed practice and cognitive efficiency.
Article Response
I agree with the author’s arguments that children benefit from play instead of having instructions throughout their day in school. No wonder “many states have laws governing the length of time truckers and airline pilots can drive or fly without a break” (Pellegrini, 2008, p.182). This example from the transport industry shows that when people work long hours without rest, they lose concentration and may cause more errors. Given that the attention span of children is shorter than that of adults, the class work may become monotonous. Therefore, they need frequent distractions with outside activities to enjoy and recharge before resuming instructional tasks.
Moreover, there is evidence that recess helps in the developmental stages of learners. Notably, “what kids did on the playground required high levels of social cognitive competence” (Pellegrini, 2008, p.184). For example, the researcher’s observation concluded that children are motivated to initiate games and continue interacting with their best friends during class breaks (Pellegrini, 2008, p.185). The change in behaviors at the playground is a viable predictor of achievements. Thus, I contend that the evidence shows that the drastic move to interfere with a recess in the UK and US should be informed by empirical studies.
The other reason for supporting the author is that he provides different perspectives that discredit the opposition. For example, Canada failed to provide evidence for high achievement after the abolition of recess (Pellegrini, 2008, p.182). The position of replacing breaks with PE classes indicates that they fall short of offering similar benefits. In addition, the issue of bullying is a significant social concern such that aggressive kids tend to use other avenues other than the playground to attack their victims.
Reference
Pellegrini, A. D. (2008). The recess debate: The disjuncture between educational policy and research. 21st Century Education: A Reference Handbook, 181-191. Web.