I have read all of the research and I will agree that kindergarten children need playtime. Many articles will suggest never sacrificing playtime for more instructional time. However with today’s pressures and rising standards, it is sometimes difficult to find time to allow children the opportunity for free play. There are three obstacles that I am in need of conquering in order to provide my students with the creative playtime that they deserve.
The challenge becomes even harder during the winter months when weather does not permit going outside. My kindergarten classroom is equipped with creative play materials. I have a home center, a writing center, a reading center, and a blocks center, play dough, cars, games, three computers and puzzles. Yet, twenty children playing in the same classroom is often loud and troublesome. I spend a lot of the free playtime correcting and redirecting students. My room and the room adjacent to it are open in both the front and back with a wall only in the middle area. Therefore the other teacher and I have to coordinate our loud and quiet activities to be at the same time or the noise can be very disruptive. This can make planning free playtime difficult. We have been promised a dividing wall, but we have not seen it yet.
Another issue that I face when allowing students time to play is the feeling of not teaching. The transition from an eighth grade class to kindergarten was my choice. However, there have been challenges along the way. As an intermediate or middle school teacher, you spend all of your time facilitating or directing instruction. It is hard for this age level teacher to understand that playtime for kindergarten students is still work time for the kindergarten teacher. Although I work one on one and assess students during the free playtime, I have also struggled with the realization that I can ‘teach’ without teaching.
The final challenge that I face is what to leave out. Kindergarten has changed drastically over the past several years. Students are now expected to read, write, add, and subtract. With these standards set, it can be difficult to let go of academics and allow the social and emotional growth that is needed. Unfortunately, none of our state standards or assessments places much value on students being able to get along with others or think creatively. It is my personal goal to create a balance in my classroom that meets both the academic and social needs of my students.
Other Articles of Interest
The Road to the Right Kindergarten
The Lasting Power of Play Dough
Kindergarten and Standardized Testing