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Its Recess! What Are Your Kids Really Doing?
I am not sure what recess is REALLY like through the eyes of a child with special needs. I can only relate to my own childhood. I spent half of it trying to avoid running into boys or bullies and the other half waiting for my turn to get on a swing. I loved swings. I was the champion “parachuter” waiting until my swing turn was over and then taking my swing to its highest high (and without inverting my arms...that was for sissies), I would eject myself from my swing and come floating down to the ground. It was really a playground “rush”.
For a child with special needs a playground can be a source of development or another source of frustration. What do I do? Who will play with me? How do I get onto a swing? Who do I ask? What if its too cold? Too hot? What if no one wants to play with me? What if I don’t want to play?
Recess offers an opportunity for teachers to become “social advocates” for ALL children. Socialization on the playground is quite different than that in the classroom. A keen set of eyes can single out a “left out” child or inappropriate playground behavior. An involved teacher can interact with children and use recess time to create an obstacle course, relay race, play social games or just get to know a child on a whole different level. Yes, this takes some thinking and time away from just relaxing, but the rewards can be great! Maybe it would be best to rename “recess monitor” to “recess engager”. Of course, there are times kids just need to be left alone to figure things out and there are times to be involved. I do think as teachers we should take an oath...”First Do No Harm.” The playground is a perfect place to start.
Need some great recess equipment? Take a look at some adapted swings on pp. 76-81 located in the Abilitations on-line catalog-click here.
Here’s to some great outdoor play!
Comment
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Comment by Ilana, School Specialty PT on November 22, 2010 at 9:08am -
Excellent! I love the idea of having classroom activities spill outside onto the playground. Thank you for sharing this with our community!!
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Comment by Lorna d'Entremont on November 22, 2010 at 9:06am -
Hello Ilana, I have worked with children 8 to 12 yrs of age so my comments are usually for that age group. To forge playground friends sometimes I have started a classroom project that spills outside. Example for a science or art class, we would discuss a topic and then I would form groups or pairs and at noon time they would go out together and 'search' for rocks, leaves, insectes, bird sightings, squirrel sounds...living in a rural setting with a little, safe forest on the playground helped:) So one day you work on a project together the next day, hopefully, you play together.
Inside the classroom most teachers have different helpers each day...if SN kids are paired with another student opening doors, going to the office to bring the lunch money etc., stacking books...sometimes bonds are forged that last during free play time.
Another point is to have the spirit of coorperation and acceptance be part of every day/project/group work. When my students understood the above was valued as much as neat, detailed results, they would much easily accept the SN children in their work group. Part of the presentation of their project had to be how they got the group to work together and how they solved problems that arose.
Some SN students WANT to be alone to work...so you must balance group and individual work or give a choice...it is not easy...if the SN child has an aide it makes it so good for all.
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Comment by Ilana, School Specialty PT on November 21, 2010 at 8:25pm
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Your point is excellent and well stated. I'd love to hear some strategies as to how teachers and parents are helping children with special needs forge friendships both on and off the playground.
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Comment by Lorna d'Entremont on November 18, 2010 at 2:08pm
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Thanks Ilana for this post pointing out how a friendly teacher can make life on the school playground much happier for some special need students. Also I know that a teacher can have a special one on one connection on the play ground not found in the busy classroom.
However, the best outcomes for all would be for these children to have friends on the playground and not have to be with or near a teacher all the time. I know for some, this is the only solution and sometimes the only way special needs children are willing to leave their homes and go to school each morning is knowing they will be 'safe' outside the classroom.
Parents and teachers must make an effort for these children to forge friendships or create activities that will lessen a child's dependency on the adult supervising the playground. Perhaps these friends will be children not in their classroom or perhaps the special needs child could 'help' younger children in their section of the school ground. The reason I think it is important that these children not be always with the adult monitor is because it does not take long for the taunting of 'Teacher's Pet' to be thrown at them. This form of bullying will make the situation worst and like other bullying comments is very hard to stop.
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