Richard Louv

I did not find many quotes from Richard Louv himself, but the main person I kept agreeing with was the newly graduated teacher. She stated that "With all of the testing in schools there is no time for physical education, let alone exploring the outdoors." Louv tells us that in the United States, the local school boards have pushed for higher test scores to creating a better America. nearly 40 percent of American elementary schools either eliminated or were considering eliminating recess all together to help promote the higher test scores. To me and this newly graduated teacher, this was outrageous and unacceptable. I have been to Germany twice, one through the foreign exchange program and the other to visit the family I stayed with before. My first time to Germany I attended school with my exchange partner, Fabio. School over in Germany is very different from America. They maintain high test scores, have about 8 or 9 classes a semester, but go through them in blocks. With all this being said, Fabio had Physical education or "recess" every single day. The Germans noticed, same as the new teacher did, that the outside, in an open field will better the students, instead of keeping them locked up in a classroom the whole time.

Now studies have shown that nature may be a useful as a therapy for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). These kids are just as smart or can ever be smarter than those without a disorder. If this therapy works than we could not take out recess or physical education at all. Louv did bring up some very good thoughts later in his writing about being outside even if your not a student. But this part in the beginning really stood out to me.

Lex Krautheim