Poll Links Recess to Academic Achievement
Principals say recess has a positive impact on learning
When most people talk about how to improve education, they tend to focus only on what happens in the classroom. But a new Gallup poll of elementary school principals suggests that the most unexpected opportunity to boost learning may exist outside on the playground at recess.
The first-of its-kind survey of almost 2,000 principals nationwide, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, National Association of Elementary School Principals and Playworks, revealed enthusiastic support for recess among principals, who see it benefiting kids both in the classroom and in life.
Key findings from the survey include:
• Four out of five principals report that recess has a positive impact on academic achievement.
• Two-thirds of principals report that students listen better after recess and are more focused in class.
• Virtually all believe that recess has a positive impact on children’s social development (96 percent) and general well-being (97 percent).
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 35 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime.
For more information click here or to receive an executive summary of the poll’s findings, contact Jenny Park, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation at (877) 843-RWJF (7953).
