This is a draft that may be amended pending a play coalition’s approval. Add your name here and we will contact you when the resolution is complete.
PROTECT PLAY AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
In recent years, our nation’s focus on meeting standards in English language arts, mathematics and other content areas has led to changes in learning environments for young children: away from opportunities for inquiry, active/play-based and project-based learning to teacher-directed instruction of mandated, scripted curricula and preparation for standardized tests. However, research from “the science of learning” – understandings from the neurological, biological and developmental sciences – confirm that active/play-based experiences are a critical component of how young children learn. It is through what people call “play” – active, exploratory, inquiry learning opportunities grounded in children’s interests and questions and that are responsive to children’s cultural and linguistic backgrounds – that the brain is literally built. The neural connections resulting from these active experiences translate to building and strengthening children’s content knowledge, language, and physical, social and emotional competencies.
Educators throughout the globe are united in incorporating these understandings in the definition of developmentally-appropriate practice and high-quality early learning. And research shows that such high quality early learning opportunities lead to positive developmental and learning gains. This is confirmed for all children – those who have varied developmental and learning trajectories as well as those who are from marginalized and historically under-served communities. That is why we call on our district schools to ensure that active play-based and responsive learning environments are available for all children. It is a matter of ensuring equity for all.
We therefore respectfully call on those responsible for the policies that guide education in our centers and schools to create laws/policies that support and protect play-based learning opportunities for all young children. Several states have already passed resolutions in this vein, most notably in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
RESOLUTION TO PROTECT PLAY AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING DURING THE SCHOOL DAY IN THE EARLY CHILDHOOD YEARS
WHEREAS, research from the diverse fields of child development, neuroscience, medicine, biology and psychology confirms that active/play-based experiences that are responsive to learners’ interests, understandings, questions, and social-emotional, physical, and cognitive needs as well as
their cultural and linguistic backgrounds are essential for children’s optimal development and learning;
WHEREAS federal, state, and city curriculum legislation has resulted in increasing push-down of academic demands through mandated, scripted, teacher-directed curricula, which crowd out opportunities for teachers to be responsive to learners’ interests, questions, understandings and to provide active/play-based/project-based learning that reflects child development knowledge about how learning takes place in the early childhood years;
WHEREAS pressure to prepare students for standardized assessments often leads to test preparation activities that reduce or eliminate opportunities for active/play-based/project-based learning, recess, and other experiences that nurture child agency and thinking, and;
WHEREAS multiple longitudinal studies have revealed that children whose kindergarten experiences consisted of limited meaningful opportunities to engage in child-directed, active, play ultimately are experiencing disproportionally more stress and perform well below their peers who had active play-based developmentally appropriate learning experiences, regardless of their demographic group (research confirms that a combination of active/play-based learning along with explicit instruction – especially in reading – yields the most optimal educational outcomes); and
WHEREAS, research from multiple fields of study, including education, medicine, neuroscience, psychology, and ethology ALL stress that reducing opportunities for active/play-based learning can negatively impact children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development, and academic
success;
WE CALL ON THE NYCPS TO:
- Support research-confirmed practices that are developmentally-appropriate for the globally recognized early childhood years (birth – age 8): provide preK and Kindergarten children with opportunities to experience child-initiated play during the instructional time of each regular school day.
- Permit teachers to utilize experiential/play-based learning during the instructional time of a regular school day for all students in grades one to five.
- Provide teachers with the opportunity to adjust instruction and curriculum to be responsive to children’s understandings, questions, interests, languages, and cultures.
Addendum
Our reference to the inclusion of playful/active-learning learning opportunities available for students includes not only recess (daily) and physical education, but an unstructured “work” time in the course of each day where children have opportunities for choices – to follow their interests and to engage with each other using a range of materials (blocks, manipulatives, art, science [sand, water, animals, nature], dramatic play, books, etc.). But play-based/active learning can and should also be utilized in the context of instructional strategies for English language arts, mathematics, science and technology/engineering and/or social studies (taking trips, creating projects, using games and materials to understand concepts.) Doing so can support the development of academic, physical
and social-emotional competencies, provide equitable learning opportunities, and close achievement gaps for all children. Creating a balance of learning contexts, using varied instructional approaches and providing time for children to engage in active/play-based activities is critical for all children’s
success and learning. Advancement of this work needs to be done in partnership with educators, school and district administrators and institutions of higher education.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this resolution going to negatively affect children’s academic readiness?
No. Play-based environments offer opportunities to learn the content and skills while reaching the standards appropriate for children’s age and stage of development. In addition, research shows that play-based environments foster critical thinking, communication, and other executive function skills
helpful to school success and participation in our democracy.
Does this mean free-play all day?
No. There are many types of play, including teacher initiated or guided play, during which teachers intentionally offer materials or prompts that ask children to practice specific skills, engage with information or content, or provide opportunities for specific types of investigation, all aimed at
growing developmentally appropriate knowledge and abilities. This resolution is intended to ensure that active learning/inquiry-oriented/play-based activities are central to young children’s learning experiences – not relegated to a few minutes at the end of a day or week as a reward for good behavior. And this protection of play-based activities as a daily component of the learning life is in addition to a substantial time allotted each day for recess (the need for also supported by research).
What’s the teacher’s role in active/play-based learning?
The teacher’s role is to be a facilitator or guide. They create an appropriate learning environment (richly provisioned with materials for learning), ask guiding questions, set up investigations and challenges, offer ideas, and give feedback. While children engage in this environment teachers are hard at work observing, documenting, assessing learning, and planning for the next “just right” experience.
How will teachers maintain control in a play-based learning environment?
Play-based learning is not simply free play all day with no rules. Instead, teachers set clear rules and boundaries, and stick to consistent routines so that there is no need to “control” children’s behaviors. When children are actively engaged in meaningful play, they are building self-regulation and
cognitive flexibility.
Add your name here and we will contact you when the resolution is complete.
The High Quality Early Learning Project 