Texas Changed One Thing About The School Day, And Teachers Immediately Noticed A Difference In The Kids

The best way to get kids to learn, as it turns out, might be to give them more time for unstructured free play. A school in Fort Worth, Texas, discovered in 2016 that giving children in first grade and kindergarten more scheduled breaks has increased their ability to focus on their lessons. After implementing four 15-minute breaks for the kids to go outside and play, two in the morning and then two more in the afternoon, children have been learning more than they were with only one 15-minute recess per day.

Initially, teachers at the school were concerned they wouldn't be able to make up the lost time, since the breaks went from just 15 minutes to an hour of playtime per day. "There was a part of me that was very nervous about it," said Donna McBride, a first-grade teacher at Eagle Mountain Elementary. "I was trying to wrap my head around my class going outside four times a day and still being able to teach those children all the things they needed to learn." But ultimately, McBride came around.

Texas school added more recess to the day, and teachers immediately noticed a difference in the kids:

1. More recess led to better scholastic results

Even months after the school implemented the new break procedures, McBride and other teachers noticed that the students were actually sitting still, paying more attention, and even following directions better. Disciplinary action was down as well. "We're seeing really good results," she said.

Children have, at least in recent years, been kept to the rigorous standards of a 15 to 30 minute recess break, usually revolving somewhere around their lunch time. But with the chance of inclement weather, poor classroom behavior, or testing that keeps children indoors, some students may go days without actually going outside for playtime, which many consider detrimental to their health and development.

Many schools enrolled in Common Core are even attempting to reduce or remove the students' free time entirely, a decision that is not recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. According to the AAP, "Recess is a crucial and necessary component of a child's development and, as such, it should not be withheld for punitive or academic reasons."

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2. Extra recess improved kids' focus

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Sitting still in the same chair all day is difficult for adults, so it's not hard to see that a child without the same experience or discipline would struggle to pay attention in a similar environment. Trying to keep a child occupied when they're eager to get up and move around can be quite the challenge, as anyone who has spent time inside a classroom can tell you.

A study showed that giving children regular play breaks made them more focused on their lessons and less focused on moving around. This gave them the ability to sit still, pay attention to their lessons, and absorb the information better. The program, initially instituted only at the Kindergarten and first grade levels, has plans to increase by one grade per year. Eventually, bringing every level into the fold within a few years.

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3. Extra recess affected more than schoolwork

While teachers were happy to find the results were beneficial for the students in classroom time, it seems they are not alone in the positive effect of the new break structure. Parents of children currently enrolled in the program have reported that their children are more creative and independent at home.

Giving the children more playtime may even ultimately help cut down on childhood obesity levels, which, as of 2019, in Texas, were at just over 15 percent in children ages 10 to 17. There are plans to expand the program to other schools, so in a few years, this trend may even pass to schools in states outside of Texas.

This would give elementary students all over the country more time to exercise, learn social skills, and create lasting friendships with their peers, while also developing better grades and becoming more creative in their home and classroom environments. 

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Merethe Najjar is a professional writer, editor, and award-winning fiction author from Atlanta, Georgia. Her articles have been featured in The Aviator Magazine, Infinite Press, Yahoo, BRIDES, and more.