Everyday young elementary students get to go outside, weather permitting, to take a break from schoolwork in a playtime known as recess.
Students who attend grades Pre-K through Fourth grade at Fair Grove Elementary all have a 30 minute recess at some point during their school day. Some grades, like Pre-K and Kindergarten, even have recess two times a day. According to several elementary teachers this is because younger children have a harder time learning for long periods of time without taking breaks, so recess serves as a reset from the monotony of school. The older children get however, the more your brain has developed enough to learn continuously, which is why once we get to middle school we no longer have recess.
To make sure the playground isn’t overcrowded with kids of all ages, each grade level have different recess times. In Kindergarten, their scheduled recess times are from 9:45-10:15, as well as from 2:45-3:15.Â
While the students are participating in recess, the teachers are on standby as recess monitors. Going outside with lots of young students has some minor difficulties due to how spread out the playground is. To help offset this, recess monitors carry whistles for emergencies, which they blow when they need to gather the children to go back inside.
Kindergarten teacher Michelle Graves stated, “As a recess monitor, I am actively walking around, looking at the children, and ensuring that they are not doing anything that is dangerous or off limits.” She added, “We also do a lot of coaching on how to problem solve and be a good friend at this time!”
Having good weather plays a big role in recess activities. If it is too cold, raining, or otherwise hazardous conditions, students will not be allowed to go outside for recess. When this happens, the teachers get together and communicate as to what they could do instead. Usually, this means the students play in the classroom, but if the gym is available sometimes the students will go there instead.
Pre-K teacher Ashley Lederich commented, “We have a variety of indoor toys and activities we specifically use for indoor recess.” She added, “We also have coloring sheets and do brain breaks on the smart boards.” Pre-K’s recess times are from 9:00-9:30, and from 11:35-12:05.
Graves commented that even though it is mostly for the kids, teachers enjoy recess to. Graves mentioned, “Teachers enjoy recess time when we can go outside,” and Lederich added, “We love getting fresh air and sunshine as much as the kids do.”
Lederich concluded, “Recess is an important part of the day! So many important skills happen at this time that the kids don’t even realize. Social skills, gross and fine motor skills, and they get a mental break from daily curriculum.”
