Kindergarten Readiness Through Play

Can Play Really Prepare my Child for Kindergarten?

For parents just diving into the play-based preschool world, this is always a top concern, and a valid one. The last thing any parent wants is for their child to be "behind" or to struggle compared to their peers. This is why a lot of early childhood education programs use playful activities over play. They continue to give into the pressure of teaching 3 and 4-year-olds letter tracing, names of letters, and drill them on counting or shapes.

So that's what parents expect - circle time, letter of the week, and cute crafts of shape trains. But here's the truth - those skills are not good indicators of academic success.

A child who knows their letters and can count to 20 may know the answers in Kindergarten, but that doesn't mean they are ready to be in a Kindergarten classroom. In order to function well academically in a Kindergarten classroom, children need strong executive function skills. (For now, we will focus solely on executive function, but I will share more about the physical skills needed for classroom success later.)

What is Executive Function?

Executive function is comprised of three main components:

• Working memory - the ability to hold and use information

• Inhibitory control - impulse control, self-regulation

• Cognitive flexibility - the ability to adapt to changes, shift thinking, problem-solve

In a classroom, those skills may look like:

• Waiting for a turn or waiting to speak

• Following multi-step directions to complete a task

• Managing frustration when something doesn't work or something is challenging

• Being able to switch tasks when directed to (transitions)

Why Traditional Preschool Often Gets It Backwards

First and foremost, there is a pressure for teachers to prove learning. Adults are focused on teaching the outcomes - the tangible evidence of learning - before the brain is actually ready. Traditional preschools that push early academics are attempting to shortcut the development process and the children are paying the price.

If the brain has not formed the connections necessary to use the information given, conceptualize complex ideas, or regulate the body long enough to focus on new information, then higher learning cannot take place.

Overly structured environments limit opportunities for children to:

• Make decisions for themselves

• Solve problems independently

• Experience natural consequences that impact future behavior

• Practice self-regulation

• Develop intrinsic motivation or pride

These environments can create Kindergartens who:

• Make poor decisions because they haven't needed to make decisions before

• Need constant support for simple challenges

• Don't understand the impact of their behavior or will repeat undesirable behaviors

• Meltdown when challenged or asked to switch tasks

• Need teacher attention and recognition every step of the way

Without the building blocks of executive function skills, not only have we ignored the child's development process, but we've set them up for failure (not to mention, set the Kindergarten teacher up for a year of stress and daily battles.)

How is Executive Function Developed?

Executive function is developed through experience! Which in a preschooler's world means through play.

If the adult always decides for the child, always co-regulates, or always plans for the child, then the child themselves have no need to develop executive function skills.

Instead, open, child-led play provides countless opportunities to develop these skills.

Executive Function Built by Play

Unstructured play allows for multiple opportunities for each component of executive function to develop side-by-side.

• Working memory in action may look like:

  • Holding rules of a game in mind

  • Staying in character

  • Remembering peer's roles in pretend play

  • Learning from natural consequences

    
    

• Inhibitory control may look like:

  • Waiting for a turn

  • Negotiating with peers and resolving conflicts

  • Managing big emotions (excitement, disappointment, frustration, etc)

  • Controlling impulsive reactions and unsafe behaviors

• Cognitive flexibility may look like:

  • Adapting when the game changes or peers no longer want to play

  • Switching roles, rules, or strategies mid-game

  • Planning involved to build structures or create rules

  • Trial and error without adult interference

  • Figuring out how to solve a problem

Unstructured, Child-led Play is Key

In order for children to build these skills, they need to use these skills.

It's not enough for adults to tell children to play. It's not enough to provide a dramatic play center that is dressed as a post office for the week or to give students five stations to choose from. Heck, it's not even enough to just go outside with your kids.

The adult needs to step back.

Autonomy ultimately drives deeper brain engagement and development. Which means the child themselves needs to own the experience.

They need to practice these skills without adult interaction or interference. If the adult chooses the activity, the child misses the opportunity to practice decision making, rule creation, problem-solving, etc. If the adult hovers over the child while they play, the child misses the opportunity to learn from their mistakes, to test their ideas, to self-regulate.

If we want children to develop these necessary skills, we need to give them the time and space to do so.

Which means children need play time that is:

• Unstructured by an adult

• Long enough to actually engage in meaningful play (at least 40 minutes)

• Without constant close adult presence or interjection

The Long-term Impact of Play-Built Executive Function

Play isn't just a preparation for school - it is a preparation for life.

Strong executive function predicts:

• Academic success

• Emotional regulation

• Independence

• Resilience

• Adaptability

All of those skills have life-long positive impacts. But when you're feeling the pressure for your child to perform academic skills (because at this age it is a performance) and academic success is forced down child's throats, it is ok if your preschooler:

• isn't doing worksheets

• wants to be constantly moving

• prefers play over academic work

• hasn't written letters yet

• doesn't sit still longer than 60 seconds

• choosing the same activity over and over

They are still learning. And when you learn how to look for it, the learning and development become clear. Those executive function skills will show themselves in all parts of your child's day - they may be more likely to try a new dinner, follow bedtime routines more easily, manage their emotions when asked to clean up, or figure out how to get their pants right-side out without your help.

Children who play to learn are not falling behind. In fact, they are setting themselves up for academic success beyond just Kindergarten. Children will quickly pick up the information that their academically pressured peers know - and furthermore, they will understand how that information fits into the bigger picture.

So yes, play can and will prepare your child for Kindergarten - and beyond. Play is not a break from learning and it is not a luxury to be earned after academic tasks. It is a necessary piece of early childhood development.

Which do you want for your child? Early academics that result in rote memorization and regurgitation of information - or open, child-led play opportunities that build working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility?