The flood of research backing the academic power of play continues. A new study found recess plays a critical role helping concentration and boosting grades, The New York Times reported.
New research suggests that play and down time may be as important to a child’s academic experience as reading, science and math, and that regular recess, fitness or nature time can influence behavior, concentration and even grades. – “The 3 R’s? A Fourth Is Crucial, Too: Recess.”NYT, 2/23/10.
One of the study’s most important findings was that 30 percent of students in the study had little or no daily recess,” the newspaper reported.
Other Top Early Learning News:
- The buzz around getting more science into preschool curriculums increased this week, when Early Ed Watch backed the idea. The always interesting blog was following up on a Scientific American column, “Start Science Sooner: Excellence in science education must begin in kindergarten". Both stories are worth checking out.
- A new report out of the United Kingdom suggests 11.5 percent of students are starting school unprepared to learn or form relationships with classmates.
- Our analysis reveals that just over one in ten children – 11.5 per cent – are starting school with behavioural issues that impact on their ability to concentrate and to form relationships with their friends and teachers – and to get the most out of school. And in some deprived areas, up to half of children are starting school without the speech and communication skills they need. Later on, 8 in 100 children leave primary school with literacy and/or numeracy skills below those of an average 7 year old. – Demos, a U.K.-based think tank. – “Early intervention to prevent the NEET issue.”
(Thanks to EarlyStories for highlighting this research.)