Are recess and Ritalin inversely correlated?

Absolutely agree.

Keep this idea in the public eye. Our children are being shortchanged in so many ways, and discouraging their exercise and play time is one.

I have heard the same thing from my children's teachers, and teachers from other countries say America has the highest percentage of ADHD kids for that reason. We need to have this topic researched, and we need to add time for exercise immediately to study the results.

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A couple of years back I spent about a month interning at an elementary school and I was shocked to discover that kinds only occassionally got a recess break. My God! It's no wonder they were bouncing off the walls! I have trouble staying still more than an hour at a time. But the poor little kiddos (in Texas, at least) have to devote every second to digesting and regurgitating the "skill sets" required by statewide tests.

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My son had four recess in first grade, three in second grade, and he has three in third grade. As part of his IEP (Individual Education Plan) required by the school because of his ADHD diagnosis, he is not allowed to miss recess, under any circumstances.

So, for us, not an issue. He didn't even start taking medication until the very end of second grade. I will say that on the days the kids can't go outside (too cold, raining) his class gets to go to the gym and run out their energy (normally they have to stay in their classroom, but again, because of the IEP, the whole class benefits).

I love our school.

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I agree 100% with the need for recess. Aside from the fact that it's the one subject that almost every kid will say is his favorite, it is a learning experience for them. The kids learn to socialize in a looser setting, rather than being harrangued by teachers and parents every second of the day. They create their own games ("CalvinBall" for you Calvin and Hobbes fans). They simply get a little time to decompress before having to go sit and be perfect for hours on end.

I am currently reading a book entitled "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Kids from Nature-Deficit Disorder", by Richard Louv. It addresses this exact subject, as well as the fact that our children are losing touch with the natural world because they spend so much time inside. It's a wonderful read, and I encourage anyone interested in this subject to check it out of your local library. (or hit Amazon.com.)

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Agreed - let the kids run off some of that excess energy whether ADHD is a factor or not.

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I think AD/HD has probably always been there. I don't think lack of exercise or recess causes AD/HD but not having enough doesn't help it either. Exercise and physical activity are very important parts of treating AD/HD. Exercise stimulates the brain much like stimulant medication.

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Extroversion is most important in the ability to learn.
It seems some of our society has become lazy and wants a magic bullet for everything that goes wrong.
Raising kids in this day and age is really hard and allowing them to watch TV a lot and not watching their diet can be a ticking bomb.
They do not need drugs, they need parents who will search to the ends of the earth to find the correct outness with them and not mask the problem with drugs.

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Everytime I read a recess comment I wonder the exact same thing...do you folks know what physical education class is for? Does your schools not have physical education? There is no researchable based reason for any school to have a time slot known as recess. PHysical education..yes, structured physical education where the students can get rid of energy, learn a new game, learn to get along with their peers and have a good time while getting some exercise.

So, what is it? If your school doesn't have physical education, my question to you is why? Why did you let them get rid of it?

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