Dear Teachers Q & A
By Peggy Gisler and Marge Eberts
What Makes for a Good Routine for School Children
Question: I am looking forward to things getting back to normal this school year with, hopefully, face-to-face instruction all year long. I am wondering how much routine we should have in our family on school days. I don’t want the children organized down to the last minute. – For Some Routine
Answer: There are definitely no hard and fast rules about how much routine children should have during the school year. Routines need to reflect each child’s personality and needs. For example, a child with ADHD will definitely profit from quite a bit of structure while one who seems to have a built-in organizer can function with far fewer routines.
Every home needs some routines just to make things function smoothly. A morning routine will have a time for getting up and dressed, eating and leaving the home with everything needed for school. Most homes also have homework and bedtime routines to give a sameness to every day. No routine should cover every minute of the day. Free time needs to be part of every routine.
Basic routines need to be written out and displayed. Pictures can be used for young children. Here is another thing about routines: They need to be flexible. Routines will change as activities are added or eliminated, and when outside events disrupt normalcy, dinner and homework times can be adjusted.
Some children need a little extra help following routines, especially early morning ones. Try employing a kitchen timer to show when a particular activity should begin or end. Rewards can also be used if they are an effective tool in encouraging children to follow routines.
Finally, if a routine doesn’t seem to be working, change it. And the older your children get, the more input you should get from them.
The Benefits of Recess
Question: I know recess is important for all kids, especially ADHD kids. Is it better for it to be free play or teacher directed? How long is recess at most elementary schools, and is it the same as physical education time? – For Exercise
Answer: An abundance of literature emphasizes the need for and benefits of children’s getting sufficient physical activity every day. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity every day. And schooltime devoted to recess can obviously balance the sedentary lives so many children live.
Unfortunately, as academics and testing have become more important, recess time has been reduced and reduced until it is almost nonexistent in some schools. Right now, the average amount of time devoted to recess is about 26 minutes per day for elementary school children. Although recess time decreases as children age, it has been shown that time allotted to a break from academic subjects is also beneficial for adolescents. Incidentally, when recess is associated with lunch time, findings indicate that it is better to have it precede lunch. In that situation, students are not rushing through lunch and wasting more food in their haste to enjoy recess.
Studies do show that children, as well as adolescents, are more attentive and productive in classrooms after recess or break time. Furthermore, it is extremely counterproductive for teachers to take away recess time for punitive or academic reasons. Recess is a welcome respite from vigorous academic tasks. Some teachers hold brief in-class exercise sessions of about five minutes after children have been working steadily for 45 minutes and find it keeps the children more focused on the next tasks.
Studies are definitely divided on whether recess time should be free play or teacher directed. Each have advantages. Free play is a great opportunity for children to develop their social skills, such as playing fair and sharing. On the other hand, teacher direction can teach children new games and athletic skills. Plus, there is more active participation by all students regardless of their skill level. Of course, teacher supervision on the playground is essential to ensure the safety of all the children.
As far as physical education goes, three-fourths of our states require physical education in elementary through high school. However, more than half the states allow recess, dance classes and other activities to be substituted for this requirement, and most states do not mandate the amount of time that should be devoted to physical education.
Parents should send questions and comments to DearTeacher@DearTeacher.com and to learn more about helping their children succeed in school visit the DearTeacher website.
©Compass Syndicate Corporation, 2022
As always, please consult your health care provider with any questions or concerns.