Play First, Then Eat:  PPS Pilots Recess Before Lunch in 2015-16

Eating lunch before going to play at recess is such a tradition in school schedules that one might not ever think to question it.  Interestingly enough, many schools across the country are flipping this scheduling convention and finding that the results are positive.  Schools that schedule recess before lunch have experienced several important benefits for students.

First, students are more relaxed at lunch and focused on eating.  When lunch is scheduled before recess, students are typically rushing to get outside even when cafeteria supervisors give students ample time to eat.  There are less accidents reported in the cafeteria and the room is much quieter.

Another benefit was identified by researchers at Cornell and Brigham Young University.  Their 2014 study, published in Preventive Medicine, found that students eat more fruits and vegetables when they go out to recess before eating lunch.  Researchers compared food waste in schools that had recess before lunch to those with the traditional schedule of lunch before recess.  After 23,000 observations, they determined that students in the recess before lunch schools ate 54% more fruits and veggies than those with lunch before recess.  They also found a 45% increase in the number of students who ate at least one serving of these food items.  Schools that scheduled recess after lunch saw a decrease in students' consumption of fruits and vegetables during the research study period.

Follow this link for more information on this study:  http://foodpsychology.cornell.edu/OP/Recess

Finally, students who play before eating are calmer and more ready to learn when they head back to their classrooms.   Teachers found that, instead of using instructional time to sort out recess issues, they were able to move into instruction soon after students returned to the classroom.  Students came back to class reporting fewer issues at recess overall.  This decrease in problems at recess was substantiated by adults supervising recess play at schools that scheduled recess before lunch.

With convincing research and anecdotal evidence supporting this change, teachers on the PPS Scheduling Committee found a way to make recess before lunch work in our 2015-16 Master Schedule.  During the upcoming August inservice, I will prepare teachers to implement the procedure to supervise student handwashing during the transition time between recess and lunch.  We have allotted 10-minutes for students to enter the building and wash their hands before lunch. Should students need less time for this transition, we will increase the amount of recess time for students.  Recess is currently 20 minutes long. 

I will check in with PPS families on how this initiative is working in early October.  This feedback will help us make decisions about how to adjust the recess before lunch plan to better meet student needs.

If you have questions or concerns, please give me a call at 264-5920.

All the best,
Carolyn