CoachViperMaster1028 INSTRUCTIONS To rewrite the essay Try to improve on: a) better…INSTRUCTIONS
To rewrite the essay
Try to improve on: a) better understanding of the passage, b) connection to and c) expansion on the passage’s main idea and supporting points, and d) better vocabulary and e) better grammar.
Recess – Giving the Mind a Break May Improve Behavior and Concentration
The best way to improve children’s performance in the classroom may be to take them out of it. New research suggests that play and downtime may be as important to a child’s academic experience as reading, science, math and that regular recess, fitness or nature time can influence behavior, concentration, and even grades.
A study published this month in the Journal of Pediatrics studied the links between recess and classroom behavior among approximately 11,000 children age 8 and 9. Those who had more than 15 minutes of recess a day showed better behavior in class than those who had little or none. The relationship between better behavior and recess time was found to be true regardless of gender, ethnicity, class size, or type of school (that is, public or private).
The lead researcher, Dr. Romina Barros, a pediatrician and an assistant clinical professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine said the findings were important because many schools did not view recess as essential to education. “Sometimes you need data published for people at the educational level to start believing it has an impact,” she said. “We should understand that kids need that break because the brain needs that break.
And many children are not getting that break. In the Pediatrics study, 30 percent were found to have little or no recess. Another report, from a children’s advocacy group, found that 40 percent of schools surveyed had cut back at least one daily recess period. One may be left wondering how children can maintain their focus on their academic work during the day without the benefit of adequate recess.
Also, teachers often punish children by taking away recess privileges. That strikes Dr. Barros as illogical. Taking that break will improve children’s learning in the classroom whatever subjects they are taking. “Recess should be part of the curriculum,” she said. “You don’t punish a kid by having them miss math class, so kids shouldn’t be punished by not getting recess.”
Adapted from “The 3 R’s? A Fourth is Crucial Too: Recess – Giving the Mind a Break May Improve Behavior and Concentration,” by T. Parker-Pope, NY Times, Feb. 24, 2009
“Recess” – Most Important Ideas
Writers who do well by demonstrating a competent understanding of the complexity of the ideas in the reading passage usually refer to the following points:
Main idea: New research suggests that play and downtime can influence behavior, concentration, and even grades (students’ academic performance).
Related points 1: Those who had more than 15 minutes of recess a day showed better behavior.
Related points 2: Play and downtime are important to a child’s concentration.
Related points 3: Taking that break will improve children’s learning in the classroom whatever subjects they are taking.
Additional points that may be mentioned:
Kids need that break because the brain needs that break.
Many schools did not view recess as essential to education. They offer little or no recess, many have cut back on daily recess, and some teachers even punish children by taking away recess privileges.
Arts & HumanitiesEnglish
