ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the ways in which the specific aspects of unstructured peer interaction at recess relate to one aspect of kindergarten and first-grade children's cognitive performance—performance on a standardized achievement test. It explores the relations between playful, often social, interaction typical of children's recess behavior and traditional measures of cognition. The chapter presents longitudinal data on the relations between kindergarten children's social behavior on the playground and measures of the peer relations and first-grade achievement. It explores more proximal effects of recess on children's cognitive performance. Cognitive performance also includes more proximal, or immediate, cognitive processes, such as attention to classroom tasks. For young children, a specific form of break from cognitively demanding tasks may be especially effective in maximizing cognitive performance. The chapter also addresses head-on the role of recess in children's cognitive performance. Children's recess behavior, especially boys, tended to be more social and physically active with age.
