Summary and review of:
Bassok, Latham, & Rorem. (2016). Is kindergarten the new first grade?
AERA Open, 1(4), 1-31.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2332858415616358
Transcript:
This research uses two nationally representative data sets to compare kindergarten classrooms in public schools from 1998 to 2010, seeking to understand whether (and if so, how) recent years have shown increased academic expectations and a reduction in hands-on, playful activities. Changes in assessments, classroom organization, time management, teaching philosophies, and pedagogical methods were studied. The research shows that academic expectations for kindergarten students are higher than ever before, that more time is spent studying verbal and mathematical content, as well as assessing students on their progress in these areas, and that significantly less time is devoted to the arts and sciences (as well as to play in general).
While research suggests that early childhood education has important long-term implications for students, this article admits that it is not clear which aspects of the early learning classroom are most significant. There is where the debate about a focus in early childhood on academic content comes into play. While school-readiness is important, students may not be developing social, physical, and regulatory skills as much as in previous generations of early childhood education. Large-scale empirical evidence for either side is lacking, with the extremes of each focused more on “impressions” and “narratives.” This is a dangerous game, and thorough, conclusive research is needed. Unfortunately, this article does not provide such research. Instead of studying the short-term and long-term academic progress of students who received differing styles of early-childhood education (while controlling for socioeconomic factors), the methods described rely almost entirely on personal surveys taken by current early-childhood educators. These teachers are likely to have chosen their “side” already, to have adhered to their desired narrative. The impact that even a handful of educators in such a position could have on the research described is cause for caution in evaluating its results.
As a pre-school teacher, research such as this plays an important role in my lesson planning, my organization, and my pedagogical approach. Currently, my intention is to help students develop:
1. Academic skills
2. Interpersonal skills
3. Motor skills
4. Intrapersonal skills (ethics, self-control)
5. Creative expression
6. Basic understanding of nutrition and wellness
The implications of such research, when it is done thoroughly and carefully, is meant to inform pedagogical approach to appeal to different aspects of development and to the specific needs of each student and class. Creative activities and free-play are widely recognized as a great time for students to learn problem solving skills. The article describes the changes in the organization of space and management of time in the early-childhood classroom. Finally, the research deals with the increased use of assessments in early-childhood education, with the intention of evaluating its effectiveness and engages in the analysis of data from a variety of classrooms.
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