The Key to Success at School? Time To Play

How do we improve students' achievement in school? There are as many ideas about that as there are students, and some of the most basic ones — more funding, better teacher training, improved school environments — certainly couldn't hurt. But it turns out that some of the things that might just help most are those that are often brushed off as getting in the way of students' progress in the classroom.

Programming to improve students' social and emotional skills, for instance, has a striking impact on their academic performance. Now a new poll of elementary school principals by Gallup, the first of its kind, has revealed that giving kids the opportunity to play at recess every day helps them listen better, stay more focused and develop socially.

The survey, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, National Association of Elementary School Principals and Playworks, assessed the opinions of 2,000 principals around the country, revealed that heads of schools are convinced that recess helps kids both in academics and in life. Four out of five of those surveyed reported that recess positively impacts students' learning, two-thirds stated that students listen better after they've run around outside, and just about all see recess as having a positive effect on kids' social development and general well-being.

"This research sends a clear message to anyone interested in improving education or the overall well-being of America's children: it's time to take recess seriously," said Jane Lowe, team director of the Vulnerable Populations Portfolio at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "Recess should no longer be treated as an afterthought but as a core part of any strategy for promoting learning and improving health."

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