<\/p>\n
Students at Starpoint School take a brain break at the outdoor playground on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026.<\/p>\n
Amanda McCoy<\/p>\n
FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM<\/p>\n
Research spearheaded by a Texas Christian University professor shows students can benefit academically from having an hour of outdoor play per day. But convincing educators to budget this much time into the school day is a challenge.<\/p>\n
Professor Deborah J. Rhea\u2019s LiiNK Project<\/a> \u2014 which stands for Let\u2019s inspire innovation \u2018N Kids \u2014 focuses on providing students with four outdoor breaks daily during the school week with each break spanning 15 minutes. The unstructured free play in this format allows students to focus better in the classroom and creates a pace that curbs learning fatigue, Rhea said.<\/p>\n The research is based on data of about 60,000 students in Texas, Oklahoma and Michigan, including at TCU\u2019s Starpoint School for students with learning differences and disabilities. The research shows students\u2019 test scores improving by 10% by fourth grade.<\/p>\n \u201cThe neurons that we\u2019re trying to build in the brain, those neurological highways are hugely impacted when we\u2019re not out moving as kids,\u201d Rhea said. \u201cThe kids are more focused, and they\u2019re writing well. They\u2019re reading well. Things are so much better in the classroom. Discipline issues go down to almost zero.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to outdoor play, the research supports pairing the outdoor time with a 15-minute daily lesson of social-emotional learning that teaches students about empathy, respect and self-esteem. As recess is one of the most active places for bullying to take place, Rhea wanted to counteract that trend.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we found is that it really is the glue to the recess piece and to school in general. Kids are treating each other with respect. They are empathizing with each other. You see them apologizing on the playground if they run into each other instead of blaming each other,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n What Texas law, Tarrant County school districts say<\/p>\n Texas law requires school districts to provide at least 30 minutes per day of \u201cmoderate to vigorous physical activity\u201d to elementary students. This can be provided through physical education class or \u201cstructured activity during a school campus\u2019s daily recess.\u201d School districts can shorten this time to 135 minutes per week, or 27 minutes per day, if the 30-minute threshold is considered \u201cimpractical due to scheduling concerns or other factors.\u201d<\/p>\n As state takeovers of Texas school districts become more widespread, including in Tarrant County, educators are focused on using as much instructional time as possible to ensure students are performing on grade level. Rhea says the dividends of outdoor play speak for themselves in the classroom.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you do four recesses a day, you save two hours of distraction time in the classroom,\u201d Rhea said.<\/p>\n State takeovers of the Fort Worth and Lake Worth school districts went into effect earlier this year after both districts struggled with ongoing, poor academic performance. When asked if they would consider extending recess time to one hour per day, Fort Worth officials noted the value of the research for future discussions, but it was currently unfeasible to provide one-hour recess. Lake Worth did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n \u201cWe value the role of recess in helping students move, connect with peers, and return to the classroom ready to learn. While our current campus master schedules do not allow for expanding recess to an hour per day at this time, research like TCU\u2019s can help inform future conversations about how we structure the school day to support student success,\u201d Fort Worth officials said.<\/p>\n Other officials of large Tarrant County school districts such as Arlington noted the same concern of scheduling obstacles for a one-hour recess, although students do receive 10-15 minutes of social-emotional learning per day. Mansfield and Keller did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Fort Worth Star-Telegram<\/p>\n
![\"Profile](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1792500008_391_ST_Lina_Ruis.jpg\")