The Recess Debate - A Disjuncture between Educational Policy and Scientific Research - Anthony D. Pellegrini

Oct 15, 2026

The essay addresses the conflict between educational policy and scientific research regarding school recess. It challenges claims that recess is wasted time, arguing there is abundant evidence that recess improves children’s social competence and academic performance. The author traces how interest in standardized tests led to years of study, compares recess findings between the United States and the United Kingdom, and evaluates both sides of the debate, including concerns about productivity, bullying, and the role of play.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

The Recess Debate

Benefits of Recess

The Argument against Recess

The Recess Debate A Disjuncture between Educational Policy and Scientific Research • Anthony D. Pellegrini Some devalue recess because they assume it to be a waste of time. There is no theory or empirical evidence to support this point of view. There is, however, abundant and clear evidence that recess has beneficial effects on children’s social competence and academic performance. The author tells how his interest in standardized tests led him to years of recess study, compares recess survey findings in the United States to those in the United Kingdom, and summarizes the benefits of recess for school performance. Recess has been part of the school day for as long as we can remember. Typically, most people have considered what children do during recess as merely “playful.” Adults usually regard it as a break from the serious work of the day—reading, writing, and arithmetic—while kids often say, perhaps only half-jokingly, that it is their favorite time. Because what goes on at recess does not appear serious, some claim it interferes with the “educational” mission of schools. This perception has led many districts to question the need for recess. Since I explored this trend in considerable detail three years ago in Recess: Its Role in Education and Development, recess has remained under attack in both the United States and the United Kingdom. The debate over recess began around the same time (the early 1980s) in both countries and revolves around similar issues in both places. The onslaughts against recess persist today, even in the face of significant research supporting its educational value, a lack of research supporting a contrary view, and a rising awareness of the importance of play in general. Thus, it is useful to look anew at the arguments for and against recess and to be reminded of what the evidence does and does not show. © 2008 by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois The Argument against Recess Breaks during the school day, like breaks from work on the factory assembly lines, have existed for nearly as long as each of those institutions has existed. Indeed, the rationale for breaks in both is very similar: after a reasonable amount of work, you need a break, if for no other reason than it may help you to be more productive. If you have never worked on an assembly line or do not remember your primary school days, perhaps you can remember driving on along trip. You probably recall that the longer you drove the less attentive (and less safe) you became. If you pulled over for a rest or a break, you were more attentive (and safer) after you started again. This explains why many states have laws governing the length of time truckers and airline pilots can drive or fly without a break. This rather simple but powerful and widely understood benefit of breaks has not deterred a group, generally comprised of school administrators, from reducing recess time or eliminating recess all together from the school day. The reasons these “no nonsense” school superintendents and principals, as well as many politicians, most often give are twofold. First, they claim that recess is a waste of valuable time that could be more profitably used for instruction. Second, they claim that during recess kids get bullied and that on the playground they learn aggression. Politicians and school administrators often use the first argument—recess is a waste of instructional time—to demonstrate that they “mean business” in making schools more effective. A number of years ago, then Atlanta Public Schools superintendent Benjamin Canada and I discussed the role of recess in schools on the Good Morning America TV show. Iwas touted as the “expert” on recess, whereas Canada had made national news for proudly eliminating recess in Atlanta schools and replacing it with physical education. He claimed that by eliminating recess from the whole school system he had raised achievement scores. Recess, he said, was a waste of tim

FAQs

Why do some people devalue recess?

Some people view recess as a waste of time and claim it does not support educational goals. The essay argues there is no theory or empirical evidence for this view.

What evidence does the author present for recess benefits?

The author summarizes research showing that longer deprivation of breaks reduces children’s attention and that children are more attentive after recess than before. The essay also notes benefits for social competence and academic performance.

How does the essay respond to the claim that recess causes bullying and aggression?

It acknowledges bullying can occur on playgrounds, but argues aggression rates on playgrounds are very low and bullying can also occur in other school areas with limited supervision.

Oct 15, 2026

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