The Pica Perspective

Kindergarten boot camp

Here's a press release from the Alliance for Childhood:

Kindergarten Boot Camp?
  It’s Time for an About Face in Early Education

College Park, MD, August 31, 2010—In Murrieta Valley, California, parents are offered the option of enrolling their children in “kindergarten boot camp,” a summer program designed to help them survive the treacherous transition from home or child care to kindergarten. Children work on letter, number, and shape recognition, school routines, and other skills they are expected to know. 

Similar programs are popping up all over the country, in response to parents’ anxiety about their youngsters’ ability to deal with the harsh realities of today’s kindergartens. One such boot camp in Nebraska lasts all year. “Boot Camp will help your child master important pre-reading and pre-writing skills,” says the web site of the children’s museum that sponsors it. 

At the kindergarten boot camp of the Harlem Success Academy, a high-pressure charter school in New York City, young children are drilled on how to move through the “zero noise” corridors in straight lines with their mouths shut and their arms at their sides. 

In many communities, children starting kindergarten are expected to know the alphabet, count accurately to 10 or higher, know the days of the week, recognize colors and shapes such as cones and spheres, and be able to complete worksheets on these and other concepts. 

Many of the academic tasks kindergartners are now expected to master were previously reserved for first or second grade. As a result, today’s classrooms are often tightly structured. Some even require teachers to follow scripts designed to drill children on literacy and math skills, with frequent tests. At one Milwaukee school, kindergartners take nearly 160 required tests during the year, in reading, writing, spelling, math, social studies, science, and health. 

Intense Academics in Kindergarten Have Not Produced Good Results 

Has this massive change in the nature of kindergarten over the last generation produced positive results? Increasingly, researchers, educators, and children’s advocates say no. 

“Evidence is mounting that intensive didactic approaches in kindergarten have not yielded long-term gains,” says Joan Almon, executive director of the nonprofit Alliance for Childhood. “The most reliable and valid tests, like the National Assessment of Educational Progress, show little or no progress. And for many children, these ramped-up expectations are actually causing harm.” 

“That the image of ‘boot camp’ for young children has caught on in so many places is telling,” says Edward Miller of the Alliance. “Kindergarten was designed as a place to introduce children to the pleasures of learning and exploring the wider world, mainly through play and discovery. Now we talk in terms of preparing them for combat—as if school is a war zone, or a prison.” 

Almon and Miller are co-authors of the 2009 report “Crisis in the Kindergarten: Why Children Need to Play in School.” It documents the importance of free play in early education and the extent to which play has been pushed out of kindergarten. The authors argue that the push for early academics is based on unproved assumptions. 

For example, they point to recent research in England and New Zealand that compared children who were taught to read at age five with those taught to read at seven. By age eleven there was no difference in reading ability between the two groups. 

These findings complement earlier studies in the U.S. and Germany comparing children in play-based preschool and kindergarten classrooms with others in programs focused on academic skills. Within a few years the children in playful programs were significantly ahead of the others in academic achievement. 

“Crisis in the Kindergarten” argues that a gross overemphasis on high-stakes tests of reading and math skills has contributed to the loss of play in early childhood education and created a false sense of progress. That argument was bolstered by this summer’s testing debacle in New York, which revealed that several years of increasing proficiency scores were illusory. Nevertheless, policymakers and commentators have responded to the latest news by calling for more academics and tougher tests. In other words, more boot camp for young children. 

The Connection Between Play Deprivation and Behavior Problems 

Almon and Miller of the Alliance point to evidence that inappropriate expectations and play deprivation contributes to behavioral problems, especially in young boys. In a 2005 study, Walter Gilliam of Yale University found that public preschools were expelling students at an alarmingly high rate, and that 4.5 times as many boys as girls were affected. Gilliam also noted a striking relationship between play and expulsion: preschools with the least amount of time for dramatic play had the highest rates of expulsion. 

“Years of research on the role of play in early childhood shows that it contributes to self-control, problem solving, empathy, cooperation, and communication skills,” says Joan Almon. “By depriving children of play, we rob them of the chance to develop the tools they need to get along with others and succeed in school and in life.” 

Kindergarten teachers who were surveyed in a study conducted by Jennifer Astuto of New York University expressed concerns about the lack of time for play and the pressures to do academic work. 

“The school day is very structured and is run on a tight schedule,” wrote one teacher. “The students are not given snack, play, or nap time.” 

“They move from mini lessons conducted on the carpet to follow up work at their desks,” said another. “Our day is very intense and provides very little free play, choice time, or any arts and crafts time.” 

“Many kindergarten students are missing out on socializing with their peers,” wrote a third. “They need to learn about sharing, caring, and being a good friend and respect for people and things.” 

This pressure-cooker atmosphere has led increasing numbers of parents to “redshirt” their five-year-olds, holding them back from starting kindergarten until they are six. The most recent census data, for 2008, shows that 17 percent of children entering kindergarten were six or older.

The loss of play, active learning, and discovery in kindergarten may well be related to a disturbing decline in measures of creativity in American children, says the Alliance for Childhood. “We know that play fosters creativity,” says Ed Miller. “And we have been hearing the same complaint from veteran teachers and others who work with young children: today’s children have very little imagination. That’s scary.”

“It’s high time for early childhood education to do an about-face,” says Joan Almon, “and reject the boot-camp mentality. Young children don’t need to be coerced into learning. They love hands-on exploration and play. Teachers need to work with the grain and support that way of learning, while setting age-appropriate goals for achievement.”

Tell McDonald's: No clobberin' time for preschoolers!

Violence and gender stereotypes all in one fell swoop! From the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood:

It's hard to believe, but McDonald's Happy Meal toys have hit a new low. 

The fast food giant's latest giveaway for preschool boys features eight Marvel comic action figures.  One, The Human Torch, is a man engulfed in flames. Another, The Thing, menacingly roars "IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIME!" at the press of a button.

Tell McDonald's its toys are pressing your buttons:  "No time is clobberin' time for  preschoolers."

It's bad enough that McDonald's relentlessly uses junk toys to sell children on junk food.  It's awful that this giveaway continues the troubling trend of fast food restaurants promoting toys linked to violent PG-13 movies. And it's terrible that McDonald's, the leading distributor of toys in the United States, relentlessly perpetuates the worst gendered stereotypes with its Happy Meal giveaways.  During the current promotion boys get violent action figures with their burgers and fries, while girls are offered cutesy animals that, bizarrely, come with handbags.

But now, for preschool boys, a so-called happy meal at McDonald's features the horrifying spectacle of a man on fire and a menacing figure that explicitly spurs them to violence.

The fast food giant claims that "getting a toy is just one part of a fun, family experience at McDonald's."

If clobberin' time is McDonald's idea of family fun, it's time to steer clear of the Golden Arches.

Tell McDonald's: No Clobberin' Time for Preschoolers.

October leadership conference

Here's a message from Marcy Guddemi, executive director of the Gesell Institute of Human Development, regarding an upcoming conference they're sponsoring. I'll be there as part of a panel discussing play. Hope to see you there!

Gesell Institute of Human Development, a New Haven based non-profit on the Yale campus, is planning a very important event---a leadership in early childhood education conference.  http://www.gesellinstitute.org/pdf/LEADConferenceBrochure.pdf  This is a conference you will not want to miss! Register today to hear from world renowned pediatricians T. Berry Brazelton, MD and Joshua D. Sparrow, MD, and Head Start founder Edward Zigler, PhD, We are also honored to feature Alliance for Childhood Executive Director Joan Almon, Columbia University’s Dr. Sharon Lynn Kagan, and United States Representative, the Honorable Rosa DeLauro. Our pre-conference banquet on October 14th will feature award-winning journalist and engaging speaker Ashley Merryman, also the co-author of the New York Times bestseller NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children.

Our national conference on October 15^th, 2010 has been designed to address the important issues of early childhood education leadership, in a way that no other leadership conference has. Speakers include both world-renowned experts in child development and practitioners, including Sally Millaway, Principal and David Mooij, Superintendent, of Neptune Township School District in New Jersey, where they have experienced first-hand the power of utilizing a research-based early childhood program for preschool and Kindergarten children.

As outlined in our conference materials at www.gesellinstitute.org/events, the conference will be structured to include two keynote presentations and four panels, lead by experts and practitioners in the field. Some of the key questions we will address are as follows.

·       What curricular models are leading to higher test scores? 

·       What does research tell us about how children learn? 

·       What policies are making a positive difference in terms of learning outcomes? 

·       What role does hands-on, developmentally appropriate practice play? 

Hope you can attend.  Limited space so register early and save!

And this year's TOADY Award goes to...

Sorry I've been so woefully neglectful of my duties as a blogger lately! The move from NH to VA a week ago Sunday was, to say the least, overwhelming and, unfortunately, I've been sick for most of the time I've been in my new home. But I'm on the upswing now and trying to get back in the game!Here's the news from the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood...

The people have spoken. Inspired by Nickelodeon's blatant disregard for children's well-being, you overwhelmingly chose AddictingGames.com as this year's winner of CCFC's TOADY (Toys Oppressive And Destructive to Young Children) Award for the worst toy of the year.   With an astounding 64% of the vote, AddictingGames.com easily outpaced its TOADY rivals:  The Little Tykes Young Explorer (18%), the BARBIE DOLL'D UP NAILS Digital Nail Printer (8%), the EyeClops Mini Projector (5%) and the Halo United Nations Space Command Turret (5%). 

Nickelodeon's decision to exploit its reputation as a family-friendly company by linking to the games directly from its popular websites for young children earned AddictingGames.com the award for worst of the worst.  TOADY voters were aghast that Nick allows children such easy access to the horrific content on AddictingGames.com, including the Perry the Sneak series, where gamers take the role of a peeping Tom trying to catch revealing glimpses of naked women showering--and successful voyeurs are rewarded by getting in bed with their prey; Stick Dude Killing Arena, the object of which is to "Train to Kill Until You Die"; and Kitty Cannon, where players can "make Fluffy bloody" by shooting a kitten out of a cannon onto a row of metal spikes.  The fact that the games are free, making them accessible to any child with Internet access, was another reason voters frequently gave for why AddictingGames.com got their TOADY vote.

Since December, more than 4,000 parents have written to Nickelodeon to demand that the children's media empire remove the links to AddictingGames.com from Nick.com, NickJr.com and Neopets.com.  But Nickelodeon refuses to grant parents even this simple courtesy, suggesting that keeping children's eyes glued to advertiser-supported screens by providing edgy content is much more important to Nick than honoring parents' trust.  (One advertiser for Perry the Sneak 2 is Lunchables, Kraft's popular brand of packaged lunches for young children.) If you haven't done so already, you can demand that Nickelodeon stop promoting AddictingGames.com on its websites for young children by clicking here.

So congratulations, Nickelodeon.  We know you've won a few Emmys and Peabody Awards over the years.  We hope you saved some room on your mantel for the 2010 TOADY!

Thanks so much to all of you who participated in the TOADY process by voting, campaigning for the worst toy of the year, and for letting others know about the Award.  Many of you were also kind enough to let us know the rationale for your vote.  To see why CCFC members voted the way they did please visit http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/actions/whyyouvotedtoady2010.html.

This was the one I voted for. I have zero tolerance for abuse to animals, and the last thing we need is to make the practice acceptable to young children!

It's TOADY time again...

...and all I can say is OMG.

The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood Reclaiming Childhood from Corporate Marketers

Back by popular demand: CCFC's 2nd annual TOADY AWARDS.  Last year, Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader Barbie took home the top prize.  Who will win this year's dreaded TOADY?  It's up to you!  Click here to cast your vote.

In February, the Toy Industry Association of America presented their annual TOTY (Toy Of The Year) Awards.  Now, in recognition of the industry that has led the way in commercializing childhood, we have selected five nominees for the TOADY (Toys Oppressive And Destructive to Young Children) Award for the worst toy of the year.  

Here, from among the thousands of toys that promote violence and/or precocious sexuality and/or push branded entertainment and electronic wizardry at the expense of children's play, are the five exceptional finalists:

• A website celebrating lechery, violence, and animal cruelty...and is marketed to preschoolers.
• A portable device that turns the whole world into a screen.
• A violent toy doubling as an ad for Mature-rated videogames.
• A $2,500 toy introducing preschoolers to the soul-crushing monotony of office work.
• And Barbie's back - with a toy that has to be seen to be believed.

Who are these nominees?  Find out and cast your ballot at: http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/actions/toady2010.html.  Voting is open until May 10.  All voters can enter a drawing to win their choice of one of four decidedly unTOADYish toys.  So vote today - and let your friends and family know about the TOADYs.

PE Meets Early Childhood

At the beginning of this week I was attending the annual convention of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD). I often attend this conference, but this year I was there specifically as a master trainer for Head Start Body Start: The National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play. HSBS is a collaboration between the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation (AAPAR) and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and is funded by a grant from the Administration for Children and Families. Its three main objectives are:

1. To inform and assist the Office of Head Start in setting national priorities and developing policies.
2. To provide resources, training, and technical assistance to Head Start and Early Head Start Centers.
3. To administer and support grants for construction or improvement of outdoor play spaces at Head Start Centers.

It was the second objective that took me to Indianapolis, the site of this year's convention. On Tuesday, the HSBS team was responsible for training the physical education professionals who've signed on to be PACs: physical activity consultants who provide training and assistance to Head Start grant recipients, supporting them through site visits and offering in-person coaching and training in providing physical activity and outdoor play.

I share all of this with you because, as more than one of my colleagues commented, it was a day long hoped-for but never really expected. It was a day when physical education and early childhood education came together!

If this doesn't seem all that unusual to you, let me assure you that it is! Physical education teachers know little about early childhood (their elementary methods courses do nothing to prepare them for the realities of very young children!). And early childhood professionals know little about physical education (their pre-service courses may include movement as part of a methods course that also includes art and music!). I can count on the fingers of one hand -- and still have a finger or two left over -- those of us who have chosen early childhood movement/physical education as a career. What I can't count are the number of white hairs on my head that have resulted from this career choice -- because there's been so little understanding of the importance of movement education in the early years.

So, it was extremely gratifying to see a room full of PE professionals receiving the information they'll need to offer their support to the Head Start community. To quote my colleague, Linda Carson, "I never thought that in my lifetime I'd see this day." We're both glad we did!

Withholding recess is a "no, no"

This blog is from the Peaceful Playgrounds website and reprinted with permission of its author, the "Recess Doctor," Melinda Bossenmeyer...

Children and youths have many opportunities to be physically active in the school environment, including physical education class, recess, and before- and after- school programs. However, some schools, teachers and coaches withhold participation or exclude students and athletes from physical activity as a punishment.

Core Issue
The core issue is that administering or withdrawing physical activity as punishment is inappropriate and constitutes an unsound education practice, according to the National Association of Sport and Physical Education. For more on their advisory and to download the position statement go to:
http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/standards/upload/Physical-Activity-as-Punishment-to-Board-12-10.pdf

For ideas to withholding recess check out our 60 Alternatives to withholding recess article.


While you're there download the Right To Recess Toolkit for saving recess.

Recess Key to Academic Success

According to a new Gallup poll sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 8 in 10 principals said recess has a positive impact on academic achievement, with more than two-thirds saying that students are more attentive following recess. Ninety-six percent of those polled said recess had a positive impact on social development.

Interesting, isn't it? According to the American Association for the Child's Right to Play, 80% of elementary schools have eliminated recess and new schools are being built without playgrounds. And the number one reason for this nonsense is the belief that the children need more time for "academics" and in order to pass tests!

One really fascinating thing I learned while working with the staff of the Chicago Children's Museum is that all parties involved in a child's education -- parents, teachers, and administrators -- are pointing the finger elsewhere when it comes to the demise of play. CCM did its own survey and discovered that

parents express frustration that school educators eliminate play in favor of 'teaching to the tests,' while classroom teachers believe parents view play as oppositional to the development of 'competitive' children. Educators grapple with administrators who forbid play in the classroom, while administrators assert that educators don't utilize more playful curricula. Among these disparate groups is the mutual acknowledgment that adults often view other adults as impediments to children's meaningful play. ("The State of Play in Chicago's Communities")

So, now it appears that administrators are in favor of recess. Wonder whose fault it is that it's disappearing?

Chicago Children's Museum

I've just returned from Chicago where, among other things, I had the great honor of working with the staff of the Chicago Children's Museum. What a treat! So much creative thinking under one roof. So much dedication to children and their needs.

First order of business was a one-hour tour, where I marveled at the many opportunities for play: dramatic play, constructive play, and active play! There was a climbing structure, in particular, that absolutely delighted me. It offered children everything a piece of climbing equipment should offer: full-body, but particularly upper torso, exercise; mental and physical challenge; and, when the climb was complete, an enormous feeling of accomplishment that left children exhilarated and wanting more!

Throughout the day, many staff members asked if I often work with children's museums. I was a bit embarrassed to admit that this was the first children's museum I'd even visited. While I accept that there's only so much one person can do, I also feel that this has been a tremendous oversight on my part. As a proponent of the concept of learning by doing, my philosophy is perfectly aligned with those of children's museums! So you can be sure I'll be checking them out, whenever possible, in the future and, if I'm fortunate enough, working with their staffs!

With play disappearing from the landscape of children's lives -- at home and at school -- I'm very grateful that some children, at least, have access to museums of their own. I hope they're all as fabulous as the Chicago Children's Museum!

P.S. CCM has a new exhibit opening on the 12th of this month. It's called Move! Check it out -- in person, if you can!

Recess before lunch

For years recess advocates have proposed that schools schedule recess before, rather than after, lunch. Finally, some schools are paying attention.

In today's New York Times, health journalist Tara Parker-Pope reports on some of those schools and on the benefits they're seeing as a result of the switch. Among other things, the children aren't shoving food down their throats in an effort to get to the playground as quickly as possible! Here, from Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer, are some of the benefits of playing before eating:

• Improved cafeteria behavior.
• Calmer more relaxed students in the cafeteria.
• Students retuning to classroom calmer and ready to learn.
• Drink more milk.
• Students throw away less food.
  
• Students eat more.
• Fewer discipline problems.
• Fewer visits to the school nurse.

Melinda has prepared a slide presentation on this topic. You can find it -- and a lot of other great information -- at her Peaceful Playgrounds website.