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A new study by Edward Miller and Joan Almon, titled Crisis in the Kindergarten: Why Children Need to Play in School, reveals that the way in which kindergarten is taught today includes dramatically less time for unstructured play than two decades ago. Here's a snippet from the executive summary: (which is all you may want to read as it is a 72 page report)
Kindergarten has changed radically in the last two decades in ways that few Americans are aware of. Children now spend far more time being taught and tested on literacy and math skills than they do learning through play and exploration, exercising their bodies, and using their imaginations. Many kindergartens use highly prescriptive curricula geared to new state standards and linked to standardized tests. In an increasing number of kindergartens, teachers must follow scripts from which they may not deviate. These practices, which are not well grounded in research, violate long-established principles of child development and good teaching. It is increasingly clear that they are compromising both children’s health and their long-term prospects for success in school.
The traditional kindergarten classroom that most adults remember from childhood—with plenty of space and time for unstructured play and discovery, art and music, practicing social skills, and learning to enjoy learning—has largely disappeared. The latest research indicates that, on a typical day, children in all-day kindergartens spend four to six times as much time in literacy and math instruction and taking or preparing for tests (about two to three hours per day) as in free play or “choice time” (30 minutes or less).
Kindergarten has changed radically in the last two decades in ways that few Americans are aware of. Children now spend far more time being taught and tested on literacy and math skills than they do learning through play and exploration, exercising their bodies, and using their imaginations. Many kindergartens use highly prescriptive curricula geared to new state standards and linked to standardized tests. In an increasing number of kindergartens, teachers must follow scripts from which they may not deviate. These practices, which are not well grounded in research, violate long-established principles of child development and good teaching. It is increasingly clear that they are compromising both children’s health and their long-term prospects for success in school.
The traditional kindergarten classroom that most adults remember from childhood—with plenty of space and time for unstructured play and discovery, art and music, practicing social skills, and learning to enjoy learning—has largely disappeared. The latest research indicates that, on a typical day, children in all-day kindergartens spend four to six times as much time in literacy and math instruction and taking or preparing for tests (about two to three hours per day) as in free play or “choice time” (30 minutes or less).
Comments:
" I was just talking about this issue (but not this report) last week. In IL, in order to prepare kids ahead of time for the state tests, hard core- curriculum must start in kindergarten for the schools to post the good scores. Except, it comes down to teaching to the test. We were ahead of the NCLB act in this state, implementing testing and rules before that unfortunate bill did it for the entire country. It saddens me and depresses me. Our kids are not actually getting smarter. The scores are not increasing. And the rates of children with anxiety issues are increasing rapidly. I have a friends who teaches in a public school in a district that boosts high scores and all that jazz. What they don't boost is that every year they have a dozen kids in the k-3rd grades are on suicide watch and that a few more are already taking anxiety medicines. Are we, as a society, willing to let our kids pay that kind of price just so our schools can boost they have the best scores? I, for one, am not. We are blessed, As homeschoolers in our state, my kids are not required to take any standardized tests. And for that, I a feel truly grateful! " by Brandie
" I agree. Kindergarten seems to be the new first grade. " by Becki
" I'm pretty upset about this, too. They're taking away everything that encourages boys in their development and then wondering why boys are having such difficulty in school. A lot of professionals have even started recommending that boys start kindergarten later because they aren't developmentally ready to do all that is focused on in school. I remember when music, P.E. and art were mandatory, and now they're nonexistent. Everyone is worried about test scores. They don't seem to care that test scores aren't the only thing that create a well rounded successful person. Not that it helps at all, but my dad said that the reason why things have changed in school is because universities have started requiring higher test scores since there are so many applicants, and those changes have trickled down into the lower grades. It just sucks for boys like mine, though, that are extremely smart, but they're just rambunctious and don't have the opportunity to burn off energy. " by AmberLynn
" It all about the standardized tests. I taught kindergarten and second grade in the early 90's. The curriculum now is all about the scores. The teachers have little choice. No child left behind, left entire districts behind. " by Deborah
" i totally agree...my 13yo keeps saying that the way the children are being taught seems to hinder their creativity. Unless you are enrolled in a montessori school or something...Why can't we let KIDS be kids? " by gottalovemom
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