As schools and state lawmakers across the country reconsider how much time children should spend at recess, Texas Christian University kinesiology professor Debbie Rhea is speaking with the media to explain why unstructured play should be viewed as part of the learning process — not as time taken away from it.
"It's rebooting their brain so they can come back to content and get back on task quickly," Rhea said.
Rhea, also director of the LiiNK Project, shared her expertise with The 74 for a story examining the growing movement to increase recess time in schools. It subsequently appeared on Yahoo! News. Her perspective is informed by years of research into how multiple daily recess periods and character development can affect students and school environments.
Rhea's work challenges the idea that schools must choose between time on the playground and time devoted to academics. Unstructured play can help children develop social and emotional skills, strengthen connections between the brain and body and return to classroom instruction better prepared to focus.
Her research also emphasizes that learning itself takes place during recess. Children have opportunities to navigate relationships, solve problems and adapt to one another through play.
"Recess is content," Rhea said. "They're learning how to play, how to adapt."