Crisis in the Kindergarten: Why Children Need to Play in School

Cover......Page 1
Copyright Page......Page 2
The Alliance for Childhood National Advisory Board......Page 5
Preface......Page 7
Foreword......Page 9
Crisis in the Kindergarten: Why Children Need to Play in School......Page 11
Introduction: Crisis in the Kindergarten......Page 15
School Life Out of Balance......Page 16
Nine New Studies Paint a Troubling Picture......Page 17
The Findings......Page 18
Scripted and Didactic Teaching: Suspect Methods Promoted Under NCLB......Page 20
An Urgent Need for Action......Page 21
Laissez-Faire, Loosely Structured Classroom Classroom Rich in Child-Initiated Play Playful Classroom with Focused Learning Didac......Page 22
The Transformation of Kindergarten......Page 23
Background of the Studies and Summary of Findings......Page 25
Choice time......Page 27
Literacy instruction Math instruction Testing and test prep Choice time......Page 28
Instructional materials......Page 29
What Are the Obstacles to Play and Playful Learning in Kindergarten?......Page 30
Block play Art activities Dramatic play Sand/water play Outside play equipment Open-ended objects......Page 31
Conclusions......Page 32
Reassessing Standards: The Need for Realistic Guidelines......Page 33
A Developmental Approach to Literacy......Page 34
Play-Based Versus Didactic Methods of Early Education......Page 35
Unrealistic Standards......Page 36
Failing Kindergarten......Page 37
Building on Children’s Strengths......Page 38
Out-of-Control Testing......Page 39
New York City’s “Success”: Reassessing the Numbers......Page 40
High Stakes and Inappropriate Expectations......Page 41
The Scripted Kindergarten: What the Research Tells Us......Page 43
Play and Children’s Health: A Vital Connection......Page 46
Romper Room to Raging Kindergartners......Page 48
Addressing Kindergarten Aggression......Page 49
Creating the Playful Kindergarten: Ideas for Educators and Policymakers......Page 51
Integrating Child-Directed Play and Focused Learning Through Play......Page 52
Making Room for All Types of Play......Page 53
Educating Teachers for Play......Page 54
Rules-based play......Page 55
Keys to a Playful Kindergarten......Page 56
Inspire play with real work......Page 57
Meeting Today’s Challenges in the Kindergarten......Page 58
Recommendations for Creating Effective and Healthy Kindergartens......Page 59
Afterword......Page 61
A Call to Action on the Education of Young Children......Page 63
De.nitions......Page 65
Endnotes......Page 67
About the Authors......Page 71
Didactic instruction and standardized testing have pushed play out of early childhood education. Meanwhile, other social and tec......Page 72