The Question Of Kindergarten Readiness

The Question Of Kindergarten Readiness

…water and sand, clay and blocks, dolls and dollhouses do not need to be argued for. But…the intellectual values of such play, as explorations of intrinsically worthy subject matter, appears to me to have been typically overlooked. One unfortunate result, I believe,  is that in the majority of our schools (in this case nursery school and kindergarten) such materials have been cast out as unrelated to “pre-reading, pre-writing and and pre-arithmetic.

David Hawkins

As children enter their final year of preschool, parents sometimes begin to wonder if an environment which focuses upon a discourse built around play will leave their child unprepared for the rigors and structure of kindergarten and beyond. Children who have been asked to think, and to explain how they know what they know are better prepared than someone who has memorized material which might seem impressive, but is in fact more often than not of little value, and no real depth. Children who have been guided with care, who value their own strengths and those of others  are more resilient, adaptable, confident, and eager to learn.

A lack of understanding of how the many benefits of play contribute to later success in school and throughout life can undermine our efforts and ultimately our ability to provide the kind of experiences which are most appropriate for young children.

It is critical to the long term survival of all play based, child-centered approaches that every parent and  practitioner who understands the value of open-ended exploration become ever more competent at explaining why we do what we do. Every parent, and teacher, not just the school director director or professor must radiate their love, and deep appreciation for the importance of  play. It is only then that we can truly inspire confidence in other parents, the larger educational community, and legislators.   

All who have seen and understand the many benefits of play, and playful learning need to become articulate, tireless advocates. In recent years, play and support for social and emotional development has lost ground to early academics. We need to campaign for a resurgence of play as a means of making learning deeper and more accessible  at every level of education.  Together we can help to build the foundation for a happier, more thoughtful, harmonious and creative world.