http://www.mediarelations.k-state.edu/WEB/News/MediaGuide/strostbio.html
News release prepared by: Kira Everhart, 785-532-6415

Tuesday, July 27, 2004

RECESS: MORE THAN JUST FUN

MANHATTAN -- Children laughing, balls bouncing, swings creaking -- the sounds of recess. Some of the fondest memories from elementary school were made on the playground, but those playtime breaks are about more than just fun, said Stewart Trost, assistant professor of kinesiology at Kansas State University. Recess helps prepare children for success, he said.

"It comes back to kids just need a break," Trost said. "They can focus better in the classroom when given that break."

However, it seems those benefits are being overlooked by some. According to the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education, nearly 40 percent of the nation's school districts have either modified, deleted or are considering deleting recess from the daily elementary school schedule, citing academic achievement as one of the main concerns.

But according to Trost, having recess may actually be able to help children perform academically.

"There is research to support that kids who have recess display better time on task, are less fidgety in the classroom and better behaved," he said. "They tend to do better when they've had some moving around."

In addition to benefits in the classroom, recess is important to the overall development of children, Trost said.

"Physical activity is essential to the physical and social development of kids," he said. "Fundamental movement skills can be acquired through moving. Also, during play, they take roles, learn to negotiate and deal with conflict."

According to Trost, children who aren't physically active during the school day are much less likely to get enough activity in their lives.

"When the opportunity for physical activity is taken away, kids don't naturally make up for it somewhere else," he said. "There is research that supports if they don't get it there, they won't get it at all, so it's important that we provide kids the opportunity for physical activity during the school day."

But even if kids do have the opportunity to play at recess, they should still have active playtime at home as well, Trost said. He recommends that a child have at least one hour of moderate to vigorous activity each day. Parental encouragement of physical activity can make an important difference.

"Parents need to understand it is important and try to build physical activity into family routines," Trost said.

But that also means participating with the child, not just taking the child to the park while the parent reads a book or talks on a cell phone, Trost said. He also said spending time outdoors tends to encourage physical activity and provides many opportunities for parents and children to play together.

"Encouraging and playing with them is important," he said. "Telling them to go outside is great but sometimes you need to make an appearance yourself. The best predictor of a child's physical activity is the parent's attitude toward physical activity."

That simply means the parents need to be enthusiastic about being active and try to encourage their children to do the same.

"They need to understand that they don't have to be marathon runners or aerobic queens to help promote physical activity," he said. "It is the support that is the most important."

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