Today in Play: Principals weigh in on recess!
Today we're highlighting a couple blogs discussing the recent Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-commissioned Gallup poll on recess that asked for feedback from almost 2,000 pricipals across America.
The first from Playworks was excited to finally have a study from "those folks who most deeply experience the brunt and benefit of recess."
Four out of five reported that recess has a positive impact on academic achievement. Two-thirds of principals reported that students listen better after recess and are more focused in class, and virtually all believe that recess has a positive impact on children's social development (96 percent) and general well-being (97 percent).
Read the full post here: Let's Hear it From (and For) the Principals!
The second is from a blog featured in U.S. News Health. In it a recess volunteer weighs in on the Gallup poll's pros and cons, finding that the former outweighs the latter and that the problems associated could be handled with – what else? – more volunteers!
The principals said most of their discipline problems happened during a recess or lunch break and said that they would like to have more staff to monitor the playground, better equipment, and training in playground management. Sounds like a great to-do list for the PTA. I'd throw in how great it would be to see more dads helping out with recess. I rarely see men on the playground when I volunteer, and it would be a wonderful time for dads and sons to play sports, roughhouse, or be goofy together.