But this laissez-faire approach may not last much longer. Some educational researchers, such as Mr. Fortinos, question the scheduling of recess in the morning. He points out that research has shown that children, like adults, are most receptive to learning between 9 a.m. and noon. There is little point in using the morning's prime time on recess, he says. Some schools already have taken their cue from these findings and eliminated recess altogether.
Recesses are uncommon in Russian schools.
In fact, students do not even break for lunch, preferring to work through the day and eat at home after school. They do get 10-minute breaks between classes, but those are largely devoted to the commute between rooms. In Pass Creek, Mont., youngsters play outside their one-room schoolhouse. Many big-city American school systems have dropped recess in favor of additional academic preparation. That's true in Germany as well.