To play or not to play

As American classrooms focus on test scores, younger students have gotten more instruction and less time in sandboxes, writes Motoko Rich for The New York Times. Nationally, schools have curtailed arts and recess in favor of longer blocks for reading and math. A study by the University of Virginia comparing federal surveys of kindergarten teachers in 1998 and 2010 found the number of teachers whose students had daily art and music dropped drastically. Teaching of spelling, writing complete sentences, and basic math equations jumped. These changes affect all demographics, but schools with more low-income students and/or greater concentrations of non-white children were most likely to reduce playtime, art, and music and to increase use of textbooks. Experts do not support elimination of playtime. Using play to develop academic knowledge and social skills undergirds philosophies such as Maria Montessori and Reggio Emilia. Even the Common Core deems play a "valuable activity." Now districts in Maryland, Washington, and Minnesota are training teachers in "purposeful play" -- guiding children to academic goals through games, art, and fun. Vermont's new K-3 recommendations emphasize playtime's importance. And North Carolina is urging kindergarten teachers to evaluate paintings, scribbles, or block-building to assess reading, math, and social skills. Yet educators in low-income districts warn that poorer children may not learn the basics of reading and math at home, and could fall behind if playtime dominates. More

Source:  Public Education News Blast

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Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) is an education support organization that works as a collaborative partner in high-poverty communities.