In the light of the current situation, the above saying has perhaps lost its value. Recently, I came to know that the recess and play time has been scrapped in most of the schools in order to prepare children well for grade level NCLB skills test. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has indirectly forced the school authorities to chuck fun time out of the curriculum. Not only recess, the axe has also fallen on Arts and Physical Education classes as well in school communities.
The reason behind this decision is that the schools will now be allowed funds only if the students perform at a decent level of academic performance. And hence the teachers have started reiterating and requiring all kinds of readable material on math and language into the ears of the students. In fact, the schools for gifted children have also not been spared from this compilation of academic expectations.
If you really want to know what makes recess an important thing, you will have to go back some years down your memory lane. Or just have a conversation with a school age boy and notice that distinct thrill in his eyes when he tells you about recess activities.
Recess means taking a breath, a change from the boring academic books (seemingly boring for a kid who reads them at that age). A time to eat, to dance, to run, to build sand castles, to talk, to share, to play and to do so many other things that are not possible under a vigilant eye. And it becomes all the more important in schools for gifted children. Recess brings a lot of motivation in gifted children as they get a chance to share their views and to make friends with others.
I completely agree with National Association for the Education of Young Children who emphasize on the importance of recess especially for gifted children. Recess is an ideal opportunity to participate freely in a social and cultural life. Teaching gifted children and others in lieu of Recess is going to become a sad reality. Play time and recess help the students in several ways, some of which include:
- It helps children have an overall development (i.e. physical as well as mental).
- It is the time when children develop their socializing skills.
- It helps the children mingle with the crowd and learn from other students be it something related to studies, culture or any other thing that interests kids.
- It helps children be themselves and learn to move along to face the real world without having anyone to dominate or guide.
- For gifted children, it is the time when they can have an application of their advanced thinking on world related matters.
- Gifted children can connect with the children around them in a better way by playing the same games that other kids of the same age play.
Recess is taken as a right by the United Nations as it recognizes the need of gifted children and other kids to take have enough leisure time and rest. Only teaching gifted children and giving them no time to play and relax can hamper their overall growth and development. Taking away this fun time from them is a major setback.