Category Archives: CATW revision

What would our childhood be like that without recess? The feeling of knowing that we can take a break from our class work to go outside was breathtaking. In the passage “Playtime is Over” by David Elkind he states how schools are terminating recess. Because of this he feels that kids will never experience the “childhood culture”.

Elkind believes that if schools continue to terminate recess kids will never experience “childhood culture”. “This culture includes songs, riddles, and rhymes passed on by one generation of children to another”. When Elkind states his he is expressing how childhood songs and games have been around for centuries and these different songs and games bring kids from  all cultures together. I remember my first day of kindergarten. I was so nervous to make friends because I didn’t know anybody. My teacher Ms. Combs made all of us students sit on her alphabet rug and played different ice breaker games. After we did that she asked if any kids knew the songs Mrs. Spider. She then randomly called on me to sing the song. My peers then joined me and I received so  much gratitude from the class. This shows how songs and games bring kids together to educate on how to express themselves, become more imaginative and as welll have confidence.

Recess as well can teach kids life lessons. Elkind says “Children learned to settle their own quarrels to make and break their own rules and to respect the rights of others”. When Elkind says this his perception is that our parents can teach us everything lesson in the book, but sometimes there are lessons that kids should learn on their own. A show that I watched on TV called “That’s so Raven” relates to this topic. In the episode I watched Raven’s little brother Corey almost gets caught return a money key chain that he stoled from a toy store when he was peer pressured by his misbehaving friends. During the episode Raven’s parents let it be known that stealing is not a good deed. After feeling so much guilt about what he did Corey ends up almost getting caught returning what he took, but Raven ends up saving the day. This proves that every kid understands life lesson through their own experience, rather than learning and listening to their parents.

Terminating recess from schools can limit to children experiencing the “childhood culture”. Because of this children will never be able to know classic riddles and games. And as well children will not learn in their younger years how to find the proper solutions to life problems until their mid adolescent stage.

Play time is over

In the essay “Playtime is Over” the author David Elkind is stating that; school are trying to take away recess for more academic. Taking away recess is liie taking cartoons. These things are very important part of the child development stage. Recess has been around way before i was born, its just the natural order.

The study at the University of Michigan stated that from 1979 to 1999 children lost eight hours of free time a week for instructed play and outdoor activities. Children need balance a little work a little play. Children become Restless very easily; after a few hours of no type of break or playtime, I believe children will not be willing or eager to learn. We all need something to look forward to even if it’s just something so simple as recess.

No one wants to be told what to do 24/7 not even children, when they need structure the most. Put yourself back in your shoes as a child think about it you had your parents telling you what to do every five minutes; and yelling while you’re home. You go to school to have to deal with teachers the one time you have to yourself to be a kid you’re still being told what to do by an adult.

This reminds me of a cartoon I used to love as a child cold “recess”. It was about how much Mischief, and trouble children can make in such a short period of time; was full of mysteries and Adventures. It was this one nerdy kid that nobody never wanted to play with, he was the teacher’s pet he told on everybody. He is what you would call a recess coach. He kept an eye on everything and wanted to control all the games  that were played, and all the activities that the children wanted to play.

Recess helps you build social skills and this teaches you how to work well with others. The games that are played such as marbles, hopscotch, and hide and seek. It teaches children team building skills that you definitely need in your life.

Stopping recess will make children tired and lazy. Studies show children who are more active and more physical fit tend to score higher and do better on tests. Schools definitely need to do more research on the downfall of removing recess, and the long-term effect it can have on a child.

Recess over Books

Class time over free time, is the direction our society is heading. In the article “Playtime is Over,” author David Elkind discusses, the over-programming our children are enduring. The elimination of recess, in favor of more academic time. Elkind feels kids are experiencing over-scheduling; furthermore, suggest that the hiring of recess coaches will aid in the personal development of our children. I believe that kids need unstructured play. We can’t learn everything from books; therefore, kids just need to be kids.

“The Culture of Childhood” is slipping through our fingers. This is when one generation passes on a song, riddle, game, and also rhymes on to the next generation. Hide-and-seek and Old McDonald are examples, that date back hundreds of years. One day, after school my son started singing a song. It was catchy and very easy to learn.” There is Sunday, then there is Monday. Tuesday and there is Wednesday. Thursday and there is Friday, and then there is Saturday. Days of the week. Days of the week. Days of the week.” Thanks to that song my kids rapidly learned the days of the week. Wishing I learned that song as a child, it would’ve made learning the days of the week much easier. When I asked him where he heard that song he replied “the playground.”

University of Michigan found, that children lost eight hours of unstructured play, and that number is increasing rapidly. Studies show that physically fit kids tend to score highest on tests. Why should we subject our kids to the four walls of a classroom, when they learn and become healthier while on recess. As I think back to my past, my generation was “always outside.” From the time we woke up until it was time to go to sleep. We almost always found ourselves having altercation in which we had to settle on our own. Modern day kids, want to stay inside, watch television, play video games, and more consistently surf the web. I believe we learn easier from the mistakes we make. Interacting with others help is to find new, different, and easier ways to make learning fun and enjoyable.

There are many ways we learn things growing up. The vast majority comes from books, and the  class room; although, the more important lessons come from our peers. Recess and free time is the best and easiest way for our children to learn. Not only do they become healthier from all the outdoor activities they tend to learn the important life lessons in the yard. We learn from our mistakes, and what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Feelings and emotions can be learned from a book; however, Love and Hate, Happy and Mad are better thought in the yard.

The article playtime is over by David Elkind is about school recess. The author is trying to find out if recess coaches are helping students. One idea the author uses is child development another idea the author the author uses is socializing precess. I believe schools shouldn’t take children playtime away because children need both development and socializing skills.

I don’t believe that children playtime should be taken away from them because they need time to themselves in order for there brains to develop and for them to learn more; therefore, schools need to leave recess the way it is and make kids do what they want during recess. Kids learn best when teaching each other new things when kids learn from adults it might be harder for them to process what the teacher is trying to teach them, when kids are teaching each other stuff on the playground its saving “The culture of childhood.” Kids teaching each other games that they learned at home from their family is one way of keeping the culture alive. I believe that if schools decide to hire a recess not only would it mess with the culture of childhood but; also, mess with the children’s brains development.
Recess coaches can be helpful for the kids if they want to stay in shape but; however, the kids would have to spend recess with the recess coach everyday and won’t get time on their own and that would affect the kids socializing skills because he/she won’t be talk to their peers and getting to know their peers better. I believe the only way recess coaches can be helpful is if kids that want to listen to a teacher during their free time go to recess coach and kids that don’t want to listen to a teacher play on their own.
kids that decide to play on their own will most; likely, keep the childhood culture alive because they are teaching their peers games that they learn in their homes, from their family and this is good because kids tend to learn better when they are being taught by someone their age and not someone older. Therefore “kids learn that friends are cruel and kind they also realize that life is not fair.” when kids begin to realize how people can act a certain way for a couple of years just so they can be friends that’s when kids realize who’s their real friends and who aren’t their real friends.

Carlos Mejia

Do you remember the good old days? When the best part of school was recess; I centrally do. In the article ” Playtime is Over” David Elkind talks about how schools are nowadays and how recess is being taken away from children, and having recess coaches while ghe kids play. I believe that children deserve to keep their recess because it is an important part of their childhood.
Recsess is what keeps “the culture of childhood” from disappearing. The culture of childhood “is found all over the world. It includes songs, riddles, and rhythms passed on by one generation to another. Child games – such as marbles, hopscotch, and hide-and-seek- are also included in the culture of childhood. Most of these games have been played by everyone and if you werr to ever hear the names you would know exactly what game one was talking about.
Recess is also a “socializing procces”. Children are able to make new friends, because usually as kids are about to start playing a game other children want to join in. At recess children also learn to “settle their own quarrels, to make and break their own rules, and to respect the rights of others”. Children also learn that “friends could be cruel as well ss kind, and that life was not always fair”. Every kid should be able to experience this on their own.
Lately schools are increasingly hiring “recess coaches”. Recess coaches are there to basically control recess activities and not allow children to do what they want. Even “critics have suggested that such coaching is another example of the “over scheduling and over programming of our children”. Although recess coaches may not be wanted, but it is a far better choice than eliminating recess forever.
Recess will always be an important part of a child’s gorth and culture. They learn many skills during recess and well it is always great to have a little break from learning.

CATW practice revision

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