US Kindergartens Return to Play-Based Learning
Several US states are witnessing a notable shift in their education systems. After years of warnings from experts about the growing “academisation” of early childhood education, some states are now re-evaluating their approach. Connecticut, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Oregon are placing play-based learning back at the centre of kindergarten education, embracing a model more aligned with children’s natural developmental needs.
Christopher Brown, a professor at the University at Buffalo’s School of Education, recalls his teaching experience in the late 1990s: “Children’s opportunities to explore the world through play were taken away and replaced with academic pressure,” he says. According to Brown, this shift began with the No Child Left Behind Act, introduced in 2002, which aimed to raise academic standards but instead created a culture of testing and performance pressure that extended even into kindergartens.
In recent years, several states have pushed back against this trend by reinstating play-based curricula. In 2018, New Hampshire passed legislation declaring that kindergarten should be “structured around a play-based model”. In 2023, Connecticut made play-based learning mandatory in public kindergartens and primary schools. Experts argue that unrealistic academic expectations, which fail to align with children’s developmental stages, can undermine their confidence and motivation to learn.
Kimberly Nesbitt from the University of New Hampshire notes, “No one wants children to fall behind in literacy, but targets that are not developmentally appropriate have been imposed.” Educators emphasise that this renewed focus on play not only supports academic learning but also helps children develop vital social and emotional skills.