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The 4th R

April 26, 2017 - 4:15pm

A lot of time and attention in schools is focused on the well-known “Three Rs”:  reading, writing and arithmetic.  These are considered the foundations of a basic-skills oriented education program and are seen as the areas of core-competency children must master in order to progress in their education and—ultimately—succeed in life.  However, there is a 4th “R” that is essential to the foundation of a child’s education and development.  An “R” that we often forget or take for granted:  Recess.

We continuously fail to provide our kids with proper and safe access to health & wellness initiatives necessary for them to thrive.  Being physically active not only makes a child happy, it also helps them focus, builds confidence, and helps minimize stress and anxiety. The list of benefits goes on and on.  

As obesity, mental health and addictions continue to rise it is critical that we return to our roots and be more human.  We are designed to move.  Dr. John Ratey, Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of “SPARK” tells us that “exercise is the single most powerful thing we have to optimize our brains.  Our kids are in desperate need of learning to play.  It cuts down on screen time and builds resilience and EQ.”

We would never build a house without a strong foundation so why are we teaching to children without giving them a strong foundation?

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends a minimum amount of daily active recess time for ALL students in school K-12.  For elementary students, the recommendation is just 150 minutes or 30 minutes daily.  Out of the average 6.5 hour school day, this surely seems like an easy recommendation to fulfill.  

But, alas, it is not.  Only 3.8% of elementary schools provide their students the recommended number of minutes. Today’s generation of children is now the least active generation in history, with World Health Organization data showing that over 80% of the world’s 11 to 17 year olds fail to meet the minimum requirements of activity. This is a shame given all the evidence which proves that fitness, sport and play have the power to change lives.

We can no longer dispute the physical inactivity pandemic.  Physical inactivity is now the 4th leading risk factor in global mortality. It is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and depression.   Being active is associated with a 20% fall in all-cause mortality and significantly reduces the risks of cardio-vascular disease, diabetes, breast and colon cancer.  Perhaps the most staggering projection is that for the first time in history life expectancy is expected to fall, with children potentially living up to five years less than their parents.  

We are failing our children. 

Apart from the long term health benefits of regular physical activity, school children and teachers may see an immediate impact from the increase in daily physical activity.  A recent study showed that after 30 minutes of exercise, students were better able to stay on task to complete their assignments.  

The Florida legislature is currently considering legislation that would mandate 20 minutes of daily recess per day for all elementary school students.  The Senate recess bill SB78 passed unanimously on the Senate floor on April 4 and has been sent over to the House in messages. SB78 offers 20 minutes of daily unstructured play for K-5 elementary students. Unlike the amended House version, HB67, the Senate bill calls for true recess separate from PE and includes all elementary students, not just K-3 students.

This legislation has earned national attention from leading national providers of physical activity opportunities for youth, including our organization, BOKS (Building Our Kids’ Success).  From my own experience, I can tell you that it is proven that if kids run around and actively play for 15-20 minutes daily, they do better in school.  They’re more attentive.  They have more confidence.

Florida students deserve and need these 20 minutes of activity every day in addition to daily Physical Education for the health benefits, for the educational benefits, for their future success and for the health of our country.  

Please don’t sit still. We must urge Speaker Richard Corcoran to pull SB78 out of messages and send to the House floor with no changes.  

 

Kathleen Tullie is the Director of Social Responsibility of Reebok International and is the founder and executive director of BOKS, a national group to increase and improve school children’s access to daily exercise and unstructured play.

Comments

"Recess" was ALWAYS my favorite 'subject' throughout my ENTIRE education process !

It just makes sense, which is why I am concerned the legislature will screw it up. There is no money attached to it, so it is sadly not a priority for them. Hopefully they prove us wrong...

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