WSSDA%206703.pdf

Parent document: Regular Meeting and Budget Presentation-06-12-2024.pdf

Text

Foreword

Four square, imaginary play with friends, swinging
across the monkey bars-it may seem like school recess
is just for fun. Recess is a break from academic work
and a chance for autonomy and child-directed play. But
it’s also very important to students’ physical, emotional,
and mental health. And, rather than taking away from
learning, recess actually supports and bolsters what’s
happening in the classroom.

Please read my colleague Dr. Massey’s article below

to learn how research has found that play is critical for
youth development and that students learn better when
they receive recess. The physical activity and social
connections that occur during recess help children’s

MARCH 2024

brains work. This necessary break in the academic day
has been shown to help children be less stressed, better
behaved, and more focused when they return to the
classroom. Currently, there are disparities in the amount
of recess children receive across Washington state.

That’s why a new state law, effective in the 2024-2025
school year, will ensure that all elementary school stu-
dents get the recess time their minds and bodies need.
The law also urges that recess time not be withheld for
any reason, that recess take place before lunch, and
that recess be held outdoors whenever possible. These
research-based best practices are intended to bolster
the substantial academic and health benefits of recess.

By Linnea Westerlind, King County Play Equity Coalition

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The brain function of a person under high levels of
distress shifts to less advanced areas of the brain
that handle more reactive behaviors. This disrupts
those executive functions and can make the person
withdrawn, distractible or hyperactive. All of those can
interfere with the person’s ability to learn.

This stress-related shift in brain function can also af-
fect students’ motivation. Chronic, prolonged and un-
predictable stress inhibits the release of dopamine, a
brain chemical that helps people feel a sense of plea-
sure and reward during learning. In this state, learning
challenges are likely to be perceived as threats, which
will continue to activate more reactive brain regions
and more deeply hurt the person’s ability to learn.

3 ways recess helps learning

The opportunity to spend time outdoors playing is so
important that the United Nations has declared ita
right of every child. My research collaborators and |
have found that when children have recess in a safe
environment that includes positive interactions with
adults and peers, students have fewer problems with_
executive functions and better classroom behavior.
Brain science research supports this by showing how
three different aspects of recess decrease stress and
improve executive function, helping children learn
more successfully throughout the school day.

1. My research shows kids get a large proportion of
their outdoor and movement time at recess. We
know that getting more physical activity at school
is better for executive functions and can actually
increase academic performance

2. My research also shows that recess is full of
repetitive and patterned movements - running and
chasing, swinging, playing ball games and jumping
rope - which restore students’ access to higher-
level brain functions. This is why multiple recess
opportunities each day, at regular intervals, can
improve students’ attention, learning and overall
well-being.

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3. Recess is a time when kids can form meaningful

relationships and practice social skills - which can
be critical to success in school.

Research clearly shows the benefits of recess for chil-
dren. Consistent, predictable recess time - even more
than once a day - helps children reduce stress, form
social connections at school and get their brains more
ready to learn.

POLICY AND LEGAL NEWS =» WSSDA 9