The past few months' headlines in the educational world highlighted several topics such as "Web connect K-12 students with scientists", and "Bill will replace key literacy programs". We also saw articles on "Sex education looms in health care overhaul" and "The 9th grade bulge". Although sympathetic to some of these topics, especially the last one mentioned that found more than 90,000 students nation wide repeating 9th grade, not much has been said or contemplated when it comes to anything physical in schools. It is clear this is not on the priority list of the Secretary of Education.
It was therefore encouraging to see a report on a debate raging over the value of play, make-believe, and other games in preschool classes and early grades.
My first thought was why are we debating this? Every education training program acknowledges the role of play in spatial awareness, social awareness, coordination, problem-solving, and identity manifestation in early childhood.
For the untrained eye play and make believe experiences appear to be nothing more than a distraction from real letter-and-numbers work associated with school. As more public schools embrace early childhood students as young as 3 and 4 years old, the debate has intensified to make students "successful" when reaching kindergarten. This expectation is highest among poor and minority children and those speaking English as a second language. It is even endorsed by Education Secretary Arne Duncan who recently said, "If we are to prevent the achievement gap and develop a cradle-to-career educational pipeline, early learning programs are going to have to be better integrated with the K-12 system".
It is sad that the time for play has been squeezed out of kindergarten and 1st grade as schools, bent on raising student achievement, to focus on literacy and math skills. The NCLB (No Child Left Behind Act) requires that all students are proficient is math, reading, and writing by 2014. Nine years later and billions of dollars spent, the verdict was announced this week: math scores in 4th grade and 8th grade (testing grades) has increased dramatically while there has been no significant change in reading scores.
Interestingly, the very same decision makers who is pushing play out of early child development probably was raised on that principle - and is not the worse for it - being leaders and all!
What the untrained eye does not see is a longitudinal study (HighScope Research Foundation) that has shown that by the age of 23, people who attended play-based preschools were 8 times less likely to need treatment for emotional disturbances than those who went to preschools where direct instruction prevailed. What's more, graduates from the play-based preschools were three times less likely to be arrested for committing a felony!
The Washington Post reported recently that certain kinds of fantasy play, in which students plan the roles they're going to fill, have a measurable effect on children's ability to control their impulses. That skill is more closely correlated to academic success in kindergarten than intelligence is.
New York City and Los Angeles kindergarten facilities reported that fewer than 30 minutes are allocated to play in a day. They spend four to six times more time on literacy, math, and test-taking (Alliance for Childhood). Even in a tough economy funding for early childhood programs has increased by 1% overall. Mostly on 'academic' endeavors.
Obviously the goal is to get youngsters 'test-ready'. What happened to the noble thought of developing the whole child?
Michael Cordier
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