Recess and Movement Breaks Are Needs… NOT Rewards
cc licensed ( BY SA ) flickr photo by Camdiluv ♥: http://flickr.com/photos/camdiluv/4441155157/
If I am in a longer session and I need to move, I get up and take a break. I bounce my legs. I type. This helps me to self-regulate so I can focus more and stay calm. I wonder how I would respond or how my learning would be impacted if I got up to take a break and was told to sit down and sit still.
At many schools, students are given energy breaks on a regular basis so students can spend the time in between the breaks being more focused on learning. Throughout the day at our school, you will obsever students walking/running around the school or climbing up and down our hill as we believe in the power of movement to help a child’s learning.
I wonder, though, how often we fail to listen to students telling us they need to move. When a child is hyper or continually getting out of his/her seat, our first response is often “sit down”. When a child is tapping their pencil or rocking in their chair, we often tell them to “sit still” and ”be quiet”. Don’t get me wrong, I know that there are times when it is important to not distract others but I