In Rethinking Recess, sociologist Rebecca A. London argues that recess has been overlooked as an essential part of the elementary school experience, with major implications for how well schools serve all students equitably and responsively. Given its potential to support students' social and emotional learning and physical activity, London says, recess should be designed intentionally, with attention to safety, health, and engagement.

The book shows how school leaders and other educators--even those with budget and space constraints--can make the most of recess time by using a variety of proven strategies, and also provides examples of schools that have put these strategies to use. Rethinking Recess highlights the need for equitable access to recess and supplies alternatives to the common practice of withholding recess for misbehavior or as a punishment, along with other policy recommendations, assessment tools, and resources that practitioners can use to redesign recess.

When unstructured or poorly planned, recess can be a major source of disciplinary incidents and office referrals, eating into instructional time, adding stress, and affecting perceptions of school climate for students and staff, among other negative outcomes. Conversely, taking organizational steps to create a well‐designed recess can engage students, improve school climate, build valuable social and emotional skills, reduce behavioral incidents, and promote healthy lifestyles.

Meticulously researched and filled with practical and often easy‐to‐implement changes for recess policies and practice, this book provides a critical resource for school leaders and others looking to make every aspect of school a positive one for students.
About the Author: Rebecca A. London is a faculty member in the Sociology Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her research focuses on understanding the challenges faced by disadvantaged children and youth and the ways that communities and community organizations support young people to be healthy and successful. She advocates for and utilizes a university-community partnership approach to elevate the relevance of university scholarship through alignment with the pressing challenges and realities faced by community agencies and organizations. Her work focuses on both policy and practice, and uses qualitative and quantitative methods. She has conducted research in multiple fields, including K-12 and postsecondary education, cross-sector approaches to "whole student" development, health and wellness, afterschool programs, and social welfare programs.

She is coeditor of From Data to Action: A Community Approach to Improving Youth Outcomes (with Milbrey McLaughlin, 2013). Her recent work has been published in scholarly journals such as the Journal of School Health, Educational Researcher, Education Policy Analysis Archives, and the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Her research has also been featured by organizations that reach important policy audiences, including the Center for American Progress, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Public Policy Institute of California, where she is a fellow in K-12 policy.

She views the policies and contexts that shape the lives of children and youth through an equity lens, promoting practices and solutions that support positive development and outcomes. She was the founding faculty director of the Student Success Evaluation and Research Center at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and is committed to fostering cultural inclusivity and equity in her own teaching practice.