Want Better Test Scores? Give Kids Recess

Education Week just came out with four things we can do, to help students do better in school.  And, some of them are going back to basics, like recess.

An education researcher and teacher Daniel Pink says here are the two things we can do right away.

1) Move tasks requiring extensive analysis to the beginning of the day, unless you’re dealing with high school students.  Pink adds,

“We think of scheduling as a logistical exercise but it’s not just a logistical issue, it’s a pedagogical issue...Elementary school students who take math in the morning, learn more math.  They do better on their scores."

2) Want better academic performance from your students? 'Give ‘em frickin’ recess.'

Americans in general—not just educators—underestimate the value of a break, Pink said.

 But research shows that if you give children 20 or 30 minutes to run around before a test, their scores go up. And low-performing students are most likely to benefit from the pause.

Even a short break—say, a one-minute stretch—beats no break at all, Pink said. To get the most benefit, a break should be taken outdoors, with other people, and away from your typical working environment.

In other words, the best possible break sounds an awful lot like recess.

For Pinks full list, including starting the day later for teens, click away.