In an article recently published in USA Today, the American
Academy of Pediatrics' recommended that recess should be a non-
negotiable part of a child's academic day. Recess is cited as
being important to a child's physical, mental, emotional and
cultural needs. Of course, the best practice for recess is to
have trained supervisors in place to encourage appropriate play,
and reduce the chances for any type of bulling behaviors. In the
past ten years, many school districts around the nation have cut
into recess in an effort to find more instructional time in the
school day. This is a result of the added pressure that many
state governments are putting on school districts in order to
raise the scores on the annual state assessments. More time is
usually mandated in reading and math, while areas like science,
social studies, art, music, physical education and recess are
ignored and left behind. The statement, which was co-authored by
Dr. Robert Murray, a pediatrician at Ohio State University,
stated that recess h