They might be better off putting down their books and heading outside.
There is a paradox when it comes to improving education in America: The system is failing to prepare many kids for success, but we have so much invested in the system that starting over isn't practical, let alone in a time frame that works for today's kids.
We need to put a premium on simple, practical changes that have a big impact on teaching and learning within our existing schools. And one of the single best opportunities to do just that happens to be where we would least expect it: on the playground during recess.
Most elementary school principals will tell you that recess is the toughest time of the school day. It's when the vast majority of disciplinary problems happen, and too often problems from the playground spill over into the classroom, creating distractions for students and teachers.
Americans by and large tend to be pretty nostalgic about recess, but a lot has changed since we were kids. When I was growing up in Washington, D.C., I had the chance to play outside, unsupervised, every day after school, during weekends and all summer long. The older kids taught the younger kids a host of rules--from how to pick teams to how to quickly end disputes--and as the younger kids became the older kids, we passed on this culture of play to the generation behind us.
But kids don't get to play outside and be unsupervised the way we used to. And so when kids come to school, they don't bring those skills with them. The conflict and chaos that have replaced the recess we remember can be demoralizing for kids and educators.