My daughter is a second-grader at Harriet Beecher Stowe school in Brunswick. She is bright, funny, active and high-energy.

When I learned that they are currently “prepping” second-graders to be ready for a single recess in third grade, I couldn’t figure out what exactly I was hearing. Seven- and 7-1/2-year-olds only getting a single recess is absolutely shocking to me. I still remember being a kid and getting a 15-minute recess in the morning, a half hour after lunch and another 15 minutes in the afternoon.

As more and more research piles up demonstrating the importance of play and physical activity in children, the choice of school districts to cage them inside the building instead of helping them develop by allowing them to get that energy out is troubling. In fact, it was because of her being unable to sit still that I asked if she’d had indoor recess that day. She then informed me that she would be getting one recess to help prepare for third grade.

A study published in the Journal of Pediatrics in 2009 found that students with more recess time have far fewer behavioral issues than those with very little.

“Ironically, minimizing or eliminating recess may be counterproductive to academic achievement, as a growing body of evidence suggests that recess promotes not only physical health and social development but also cognitive performance,” the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on School Health declared in 2013.

Don’t blame the teachers. This is handed down to them from the school administration.

Micah Brown

Brunswick

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