In the News

The founder of a nonprofit organization that brings recess back into low-income urban schools understands why education reformers focus on what happens in the classroom.

If there's anyplace that kids rule, it's the playground, right? Think again. Portland Public Schools principals and teachers say they have seen big reductions in foul play, hurt feelings and…

There's one thing that's almost guaranteed to make your child do better in school: more recess. Not only do children do better academically if they get outside to play, but…

Recess isn't about just play. More than 80 percent of elementary-school principals believe that recess has a positive impact on academic achievement, according to a new Gallup survey released Thursday.…

When Grout Elementary School Principal Susan McElroy suggests that children don’t know how to play anymore, her view is based on years of watching kids outside on playgrounds during recess.…

ABC's Ann Pleschette Murphy and Playworks Founder Jill Vialet discuss the importance of recess and tips for how to make it better at your school

Classrooms are leaking minutes every day because teachers are using precious time resolving conflicts from the playground. And the slow drip, drip, drip every day is adding up — in…

Recess at many public schools isn’t what it used to be. Many schoolyard games – such as tag – have been discouraged because kids play too rough and the conflicts…

They would ignore the brightly colored balls left for them on the playground and the hopscotch lines painted on the pavement. Instead, in past years many students at Conservatory Lab…