Dear Melissa,
My son is in kindergarten this year, and it seems as if so much of his school day is focused solely on academic work. When I was in kindergarten, it seems as if we were focused on dress up, story time, and finger painting. Where did all of the “play time” go?
You are not alone! A recent blog from the American Occupational Therapy Association comments on just that. The following statistics are reported by researchers at the University of Virginia (Education Week):
Academic skills:
- 31% of teachers in 1998 believed students should learn to read in kindergarten, compared to 80% in 2010
- 35% of teachers in 1998 believed it was important for children to enter kindergarten knowing how to use a pencil and paintbrush, compared to 68% of teachers in 2010
- 29% of teachers reported that children should know their alphabet before starting kindergarten, whereas 62% of teachers in 2010 think children should enter kindergarten already knowing the alphabet
Play skills:
- 87% of classrooms had a dramatic play area in 1998. In 2010, only 58% of classrooms had a dramatic play area.
- 92% of classrooms in 1998 had an art area in the classroom, compared to only 71% of classrooms in 2010.
- 58% of kindergarteners participated in dance or creative movement at least weekly, whereas only 48% of kindergarteners had movement in 2010.
And, it’s not just the academic institutions who are on board with more play skills development. The Lego Foundation (yes, THOSE Legos that we always fear stepping on bare-footed in the living room) was established 29 years ago and is funded with 25% of Lego’s post-tax profits. In a very recent article published in The Guardian (a British daily newspaper AND the world’s 3rd most read newspaper), the Lego foundation promotes play to help children devise, tell, and act out stories years before they are capable of writing these stories down. Play allows for the establishment and practice of these creative foundations, so that the child is capable of actually writing down stories when their writing skills catch up. Specifically, their research promotes a play-based approach to learning until the child reaches 8 years of age. Sound like child’s play? Well, Cambridge University has just created a “Lego professorship.” They are working with institutions like Harvard, MIT and other well-known, prestigious institutions, for the intention of providing concrete, academic proof on the educational value of play. (The Guardian, March 15, 2016)
As a pediatric occupational therapist, it is my job to focus on the occupations of each individual child. In only one generation of life, the traditional occupation of a 5 year old has quickly converted from creative play and movement to sitting at a desk and completing academic work. We have become a nation so focused on test scores and academic achievement, that pretty soon, our children will have no creative life experiences to read and write about.
And it is not just the OT’s who feel strongly about the role of play in a child’s development. The Journal of Pediatrics (2007) reports the following: “Play is so important to optimal child development that it has been recognized by the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights as a right of every child… even those children who are fortunate enough to have abundant available resources and who live in relative peace may not be receiving the full benefits of play. Many of these children are being raised in an increasingly hurried and pressured style that may limit the protective benefits they would gain from child-driven play. Because every child deserves the opportunity to develop to their unique potential, child advocates must consider all factors that interfere with optimal development and press for circumstances that allow each child to fully reap the advantages associated with play.”
So play is not just “child’s play”. Play is a RIGHT of every child. And, according to the Journal of Pediatrics, the specific benefits of play reported include:
- Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. Play is important to healthy brain development.
- Play allows children to create and explore a world they can master, conquering their fears, while practicing adult roles, sometimes in conjunction with other children or adult caregivers.
- When play is allowed to be child-driven, children practice decision-making skills, move at their own pace, discover their own areas of interest, and ultimately engage fully in the passions they wish to pursue.
- In contrast to passive entertainment, play builds active, healthy bodies. In fact, it has been suggested that encouraging unstructured play may be an exceptional way to increase physical activity levels in children, which is one important strategy in the resolution of the obesity epidemic.
As alluded to in today’s parent question, this trend of reduced play time has even affected our kindergarten children, who have had free play reduced in their schedules to make room for more academics. A 1989 survey, taken by the National Association of Elementary School Principals, found that 96% of surveyed school systems had at least 1 recess period. Another survey, a decade later, found that only 70% of kindergarten classrooms had a recess period.
So, we know our youngest elementary school students are receiving less recess time. AND, we know that play is important for proper development of our children. So what do we do about it? This is the tricky part. It will take a multi-dimensional approach, but we must become advocates for our children.
- Insist that a child never has recess (or any other “non academic” time) taken away as a consequence for negative behavior.
- Talk to your teachers and principals about your child’s schedule. Share with them the literature on the importance of play.
- Feeling brave? Join your own school board or run for PTA offices to help change public policy.
If we all work together, we can re-introduce play into our childrens’ lives!
Resources:
Foster, M. Recess Critical for Learning, (Feb 2016), Children’s Therapy TEAM Blog.
Ginsburg, K. The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds, (Jan 2007), Pediatrics.
Kindergarten Today: Less Play, More Academics, (Feb 10, 2016), Education Week.
Strauss, V. You won’t believe these kindergarten schedules, (June 2, 2014), Washington Post.
Ward, L. Children should learn mainly through play until the age of eight, says Lego, (March 15, 2016), The Guardian.
Yamkovenko, S. Kindergarten Trends to Less Play, More Academics: How Does it Affect Children, (Feb 22, 2016), OT Connections.
Foster, M. Recess Critical for Learning, (Feb 2016), Children’s Therapy TEAM Blog.
Ginsburg, K. The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds, (Jan 2007), Pediatrics.
Kindergarten Today: Less Play, More Academics, (Feb 10, 2016), Education Week.
Strauss, V. You won’t believe these kindergarten schedules, (June 2, 2014), Washington Post.
Ward, L. Children should learn mainly through play until the age of eight, says Lego, (March 15, 2016), The Guardian.
Yamkovenko, S. Kindergarten Trends to Less Play, More Academics: How Does it Affect Children, (Feb 22, 2016), OT Connections.
