Save Kindergarten!

Inspired by my young son's own experience in junior kindergarten and the story of a dedicated teacher in his school district, I would like to join forces with peers to start a SAVE KINDERGARTEN movement. All credit to the name of the movement goes to Natalie, one of our awesome class storytellers.

I mentioned to Natalie that when I retire, I would like to start my own neighborhood kindergarten and junior kindergarten school to provide a bridge to the public school system, where kindergarten classes are increasingly more like first and second and third grades. Natalie wondered if it makes more sense to start a movement to restore true kindergartens to all public schools across the country. I'm interested in both starting a school (15 years from now!)--and joining Natalie's movement. What would the movement look like? How can we get started?

Here's the poignant article that nicely encapsulates what's happened to kindergarten in many classrooms across the country:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/03/23/kindergarten-teacher-my-job-is-now-about-tests-and-data-not-children-i-quit/.

Linda

I would love to work on this. I was a Kinder teacher for over 20 years and have left to work with teachers. I try to help teachers stay true to who they are and why they got into teaching, which is getting harder and harder to do. I would love to work on saving kindergarten- I think we need to show teachers that they cam continue to teach to the whole child- that the pendulum will swing back and they will look to the early childhood teachers to lead the way with the next generation-

Let's do it. I like your perspective! I especially take heart in the fact that you think the pendulum will swing back and that teachers need to be fortified to stay true to their own beliefs, as well as an approach to take care of the whole child.

I'd love to hear more about your work and hear your thoughts about some next steps.

Instead of trying to get children ready for kindergarten, kindergarten needs to be ready for the children.

I am another a veteran kindergarten teacher joining the discussion. I currently teach early childhoood family education and heard a speaker talk at a conference this week about the importance of play. She shared with us the advocacy group Alliance for Childhood. http://www.allianceforchildhood.org/ This is a group that could help parents, teachers and administrators as they are advocating for play based education for young children. It's a great source for research based information. Specifically the article "Crisis in the Kindergarten" is very applicable here. As early educators, we are now on a mission to save preschool from the same fate as kindergarten.

Here is an article about how a school is cancelling its Kindergarten Play/Show because it doesn't prepare them for college or their future careers: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/04/26/kindergarten-show-canceled-so-kids-can-keep-working-to-become-college-and-career-ready-really/

Everything you've shared makes me feel even more the urgency to respond to these pressures in Kindergarten and preschools. Wondering what a creative and playful way to respond and involve others would be...

LEGO Foundation is also gearing up to make a difference in raising awareness of the importance and benefits of play: http://www.legofoundation.com/en-us/who-we-are/our-bold-journey/