Children: Recess Found to Improve Behavior

This is news?  Any parent knows  that kids need a break to get the wiggles out!

Children who had at least 15 minutes of recess scored better than the others on teachers’ behavioral ratings. Dr. Romina M. Barros, a pediatrician and assistant professor at Albert Einstein, said the data were important because many new schools were being built without adequate outdoor space for students.

“We need to understand that kids need a break,” Dr. Barros said. “Our brains can concentrate and pay attention for 45 to 60 minutes, and in kids it’s even less. For them to be able to acquire all the academic skills we want them to learn, they need a break to go out and release the energy and play and be social.”

For most homeschoolers this is not an issue.  If the kids are squirrelly... out they go!  If they are spacey... out they go!  If they are completely lost and frustrated... out they go!   They return refreshed and ready to learn (MOST of the time).

Full article: New York Times