What Did I Do to My Child?
Last spring, I went to see our local elementary school for kindergarten. I questioned the notion of only two twenty-minute recesses, which later shrinks to one thirty-minute recess in first grade. That was apparently the only time they got to be outside, besides gym, sometimes. Didn’t they go out during class sometimes as well?
I was given a smile and led toward the door.
“Look, if we took seventeen kindergarteners outside, they would just run around.”
I could see the playground out the back window. Behind it was a soccer field, then woods with a dent in it I happened to know was a hiking trail.
They would just run around.
Um…ISN'T THAT WHAT WE WANT THEM TO DO?!
Of course, I thought of that response as I was driving away. I think I was so stunned and frustrated about the whole thing it was hard to articulate my position. I'll blame the baby too; Sophie was probably licking the floor or something. The whole time I felt like they saw me as this crazy parent they had to placate and get out the door.
These children are five- and six- years old. Kindergarten isn't even mandatory. Many used to be half-day. Ours is full, with no half-day option - meaning unless they go outside for gym (which is twice per week) or class time, they are outside for forty minutes of their six-hour school day. Every gorgeous fall day this past September (and it was phenomenal here in Massachusetts, wasnt' it?) was tinged by the idea that my daughter, who I had been raising playing in the dirt and climbing trees as much as possible, was missing it.
What are other people's experiences? Has anyone out there had any luck extending outside time in their local school?
On a similar note, this is a really interesting article about the value of play-based learning. Play can be done inside or out, of course, but this article describes much of the same concepts. I wish more school districts would approach elementary education like this.
https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-use-play-learning
- Jessica
I was given a smile and led toward the door.
“Look, if we took seventeen kindergarteners outside, they would just run around.”
I could see the playground out the back window. Behind it was a soccer field, then woods with a dent in it I happened to know was a hiking trail.
They would just run around.
Um…ISN'T THAT WHAT WE WANT THEM TO DO?!
Of course, I thought of that response as I was driving away. I think I was so stunned and frustrated about the whole thing it was hard to articulate my position. I'll blame the baby too; Sophie was probably licking the floor or something. The whole time I felt like they saw me as this crazy parent they had to placate and get out the door.
These children are five- and six- years old. Kindergarten isn't even mandatory. Many used to be half-day. Ours is full, with no half-day option - meaning unless they go outside for gym (which is twice per week) or class time, they are outside for forty minutes of their six-hour school day. Every gorgeous fall day this past September (and it was phenomenal here in Massachusetts, wasnt' it?) was tinged by the idea that my daughter, who I had been raising playing in the dirt and climbing trees as much as possible, was missing it.
What are other people's experiences? Has anyone out there had any luck extending outside time in their local school?
On a similar note, this is a really interesting article about the value of play-based learning. Play can be done inside or out, of course, but this article describes much of the same concepts. I wish more school districts would approach elementary education like this.
https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-use-play-learning
- Jessica