ABSTRACT
As schools attempt to meet heightened testing requirements, physical, social, and behavioral aspects of child development are often ignored. Physical activity and unstructured play are vital components in children’s health, providing outlets for creativity, socialization, stress reduction, happiness, and active movement (Gray, 2013; Pellegrini & Bohn-Gettler, 2013; Stegelin, Fite, & Wisneski, 2015). Organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) have released position statements on the importance of play breaks, but few schools consistently follow these guidelines (AAP, 2013; NASPE, 2006). The reduction in time offered for play has detrimental effects on school children (Gray, 2011). School leaders need to understand the implications of limiting unstructured play on outcomes, including classroom behavior, academics, attentional focus, social skills, fine and gross motor skills, and emotional development. Preliminary Activities
Read “11 Principles of Effective Character Education” and browse the “Character Education Legislation” section of the https://www.Character.org">Character.org website, noting the details pertinent to your state context. Debrief with the whole group. Then divide into teams and engage in a jigsaw activity, with each team reading and reporting on essential ideas/questions from one of the following articles. Teams should comment on how their experiences mirror or contrast those illustrated in the articles.
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Rhea, D. J. (2016). Recess: The forgotten classroom. Instructional Leader, 29(1), 1-4.
van der Niet, A. G., Smith, J., Scherder, E. J., Oosterlaan, J., Hartman, E., & Visscher, C. (2015). Associations between daily physical activity and executive functioning in primary school-aged children. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 18(6), 673–677.
Observe one K–5 classroom; discuss the class and daily schedule with the teacher. Sketch a seating chart. At five-minute intervals, use a coding scheme (e.g., check marks) to document which students are on task and/or appropriately engaged. When a student is off task, briefly note what the student is doing. Write a summary of observed patterns.
Take a 15-minute walk outside unplugged—with no cell phone or any other technology. Notice the area around you. Document how you felt before and at the end of the walk, and observations you made.
