The exiling of play is one of the great tragedies of standardized education.
Peter Gray, 2013When considering your child’s early school experiences, one of your first questions should be whether the school provides play-based instruction. If your local school is more focused on teacher-led classes for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, consider your options. You might ask school administrators or the school board why their policies are the opposite of what research shows kids need. If it’s an option for your family, look around for other district schools, or for private options like Waldorf or Montessori schools, that do offer play-based instruction. Push back against standardized testing and age-based assessments that don’t consider the whole child. Your local parent–teacher organization or school foundation might be able to help you advocate for play-based classrooms that follow research-based best practices.
Most of all, avoid any hint of high-pressure environments, and make sure your child has plenty of time for free play outside school hours. There will be plenty of time to worry about test scores and college admissions later. Our children only get to be young once, and what they learn in their early years will stay with them all their lives. We should protect that opportunity at all costs.
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