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CHILDREN in Charles Dickens'
We'll not place Spotsylvania County Schools in the same category as, say, a Victorian-era sweatshop owner, but the 15 minutes "stolen" from the recess of grades three through five in the county nevertheless earns a Dickensian thumbs-down.
Why? As the February 2009 issue of Scientific American points out, "'Free play,' as scientists call it, is critical for becoming socially adept, coping with stress, and building cognitive skills such as problem solving."
Psychiatrist Stuart Brown of Baylor University first became interested in the subject in 1966, after Charles Whitman, 25, climbed to the top of a tower on the Austin campus of the University of Texas and shot 46 people. Assigned to the team investigating the incident, Mr. Brown found a commonality between Whitman and 26 convicted murderers: All were the product of abusive homes, and none of them played as young children. Over 40 years and 6,000 interviews later, says Scientific American, "his data suggest that a lack of opportunities for unstructured, imaginative play can keep children from growing into happy, well-adjusted adults."
Mr. Brown isn't alone. Other studies have found that free play enhances language development, teaches problem solving and leadership, and is essential for stimulating creativity. And what about the physical benefits? The number of obese kids has tripled since 1980--as have hospital-associated costs for those kids. Youngsters today need all the exercise they can get.
School systems are under a lot of pressure to meet federal and state standards and squeeze in every bit of instructional time that they can. Similarly, Victorian society struggled to meet labor needs during rapid industrialization. Stealing children's playtime isn't a good solution for either problem. Fifteen minutes? That's one small slice of a school day, one giant benefit for a child.
