Recess impact in math
Is recess beneficial for students' performance in math?
Research reveals that recess, traditionally viewed as a period of unstructured play, substantially and positively impacts students' academic performance within the classroom. (Danaher, 2018).
Are manipulatives in math always effective?
No. According to Donovan & Fyfe (2022), research about the effectiveness of math manipulatives is mixed. (p.1009)
Does recess increase classroom attentiveness?
According to research findings, recess provides a physical and mental break for students, increasing their attentiveness in the classroom. Mental alertness and the amount of time that students spend on-task, or engaged in learning, is an important factor contributing to academic achievement (Stapp, 2018).
Has the implication of recess been increasing or decreasing over recent years?
Decreasing. This shift reflects a growing emphasis on maximizing instructional hours, driven by the desire to meet rigorous academic standards and improve overall student performance in core courses such as reading, mathematics, science, and social studies. (Jarrett, 2013).
When is manipulative use not effective for student learning?
Manipulative use is not effective for students when they are not able to generalize the knowledge that they learn with manipulatives when the manipulatives are not available. According to Laski et al. (2021), "In the case of manipulatives, the desired outcome would be to generalize a problem-solving strategy learned with manipulatives to contexts in which concrete materials are not available. (p. 232)
Are there negative impacts recess has on student achievement?
The author’s findings suggest that students can become distracted by recess and prefer to be at recess than in the classroom. This can cause inattentiveness as well as less time on-task in the classroom during instructional periods which can lead to a negative impact on student academic achievement in core subject areas (Ozkal, 2020).
Does all research state that recess is beneficial for elementary school students' achievement in core subjects?
A subset of research may adopt a neutral stance, refraining from definitively asserting recess's positive or negative impact on academic outcomes. "Findings showed no significant effects of recess; however, students exposed to a 16–30-minute recess period tended to perform better. An interaction effect of race and the length of recess was found. It was concluded that recess does not significantly affect reading achievement. In other words, it does not improve or hurt academic achievement, but provides an opportunity for children to be physically active, play and socialize -- just to be a child." (Dağlı, 2012)
When is one example of when manipulative use is seen as effective for student learning?
Manipulatives are seen as most effective for student learning when the manipulatives are basic and not very distracting or entertaining for the students. According to Laski et al. (2015), "research suggests that manipulatives that are as basic as possible (e.g., same colored cubes vs. teddy bear counters) without irrelevant perceptual features or references to real-world objects seem to promote the greatest learning” (p. 5).
Does more recess time mean higher reading scores?
Yes, to a certain extent. It has been found that increased recess periods can produce higher reading scores; however, recess longer than 30 minutes may interrupt instructional time in the classroom and. A recess period lasting from 16-30 minutes has produced the highest reading scores (Yesil, 2012).
Do you think that a recess exceeding 30 minutes would be beneficial or detrimental to student achievement?
A study done by Karen Leigh Beverlin states that, "Overall, students who received less than 15 minutes of daily recess were associated with higher math growth, and students who received greater than 30 minutes of daily recess were associated with the least amount of math growth" (Beverlin, 2019).
How does having a hands-on approach to learning and using manipulatives impact student conceptual knowledge of math concepts?
According to Korn, “[o]ne way to engage students in hands-on learning is to use manipulatives. Using manipulatives can greatly aid students in developing their conceptual understanding” (2014, p. 11). Another finding about the impact of manipulatives is that “[m]anipulatives aid students in noting and communicating with others their understanding of mathematical thoughts and also in making mental processes and thoughts more refined (Özgün-Koca & Edwards, 2011, as cited in Korn, 2014, p.14).
In recent years, are schools wanting to cut recess from the school day?
Many educators devalue recess deeming it a waste of time that could be spent more efficiently in the classroom.” (Taylor, 2021). Following the implementation of No Child Left Behind, the time devoted to recess has been on the decline with more focus given to meeting standardized requirements for math and reading (Taylor, 2021).
Do you think students should be allowed at least 20 minutes of recess every day?
Through my research, I have come to the stance that I advocate for a minimum of 20 minutes of recess every day as an integral and necessary component of the elementary school day. Twenty minutes of recess proves to be a perfect break in the school day, while exceeding this time may lead to other complications. minutes has "Overall, students who received less than 15 minutes of daily recess were associated with higher math growth, and students who received greater than 30 minutes of daily recess were associated with the least amount of math growth" (Beverlin, 2019).
Are manipulatives effective for students if they have difficulty with math?
According to Morgan et al., the findings of their study suggested that the number of students with difficulties in math was associated positively with learning activities that used manipulatives (2015, p. 193). These researchers also suggested that the use of manipulatives with students with math difficulties did not show a positive correlation with their achievement. (Morgan et al., 2015, p. 199)
Would eliminating recess hinder student academic achievement?
It was discovered that limiting children’s access to free play and recess actually has a detrimental effect on children’s attention spans, academic abilities, and enthusiasm for school in general (Keeler, 2015). “Schools are wanting to maximize class time to increase efficiency by decreasing recess but are most likely doing the opposite.” (Witham, 2022).