Picture the middle of the day at a typical elementary school: you get an hour to eat lunch and play. What do you think kids are going to do?
Eat lunch in five minutes and dash outside? Check.
Skip lunch altogether and feel sick later? Check.
Run around on a full stomach and get sick immediately? Check.
Throw away some or all of the food their parents bought and packed for them? Check.
Come back to class after recess full of wiggles and energy, and needing a drink of water? CHECK.
How could this situation possibly be remedied? Well, duh. As the saying goes, "Life is uncertain; give recess first!"
In the test schools that adopted this practice, kids were overjoyed to be able to burn off their energy straight from class, then "cool down" over a lunch that was more leisurely without the dangling carrots of kickball and the monkey bars. They paid better attention in class afterward, with fuller bellies and calmer nerves. Afternoon nurse visits decreased by 40%.
Logic. Works every time!
Eat lunch in five minutes and dash outside? Check.
Skip lunch altogether and feel sick later? Check.
Run around on a full stomach and get sick immediately? Check.
Throw away some or all of the food their parents bought and packed for them? Check.
Come back to class after recess full of wiggles and energy, and needing a drink of water? CHECK.
How could this situation possibly be remedied? Well, duh. As the saying goes, "Life is uncertain; give recess first!"
In the test schools that adopted this practice, kids were overjoyed to be able to burn off their energy straight from class, then "cool down" over a lunch that was more leisurely without the dangling carrots of kickball and the monkey bars. They paid better attention in class afterward, with fuller bellies and calmer nerves. Afternoon nurse visits decreased by 40%.
Logic. Works every time!
