Early Childhood

Kindergarten Today: Less Play, More Academics

February 09, 2016 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Researchers at the University of Virginia compared the views and experiences of kindergarten teachers in 1998 with those of their counterparts in 2010, and found dramatic differences in what teachers now expect of pupils and how they have structured their classrooms. Generally, teachers now expect children to come in knowing much more, spend more of the day in literacy and math instruction, and devote less time to nonacademic subjects such as music and art. Some excerpts from the findings:

Teacher Beliefs

BRIC ARCHIVE

Curriculum Focus

BRIC ARCHIVE

Classroom Organization

BRIC ARCHIVE

Instructional Approaches

BRIC ARCHIVE

Related Tags:

Source: “Is Kindergarten the New First Grade?,” AERA Open (American Educational Research Association) | Design: Marty Barrick

A version of this article appeared in the February 10, 2016 edition of Education Week as Kindergarten: Less Play, More Academics

Events

Early Childhood K-12 Essentials Forum Early Childhood Education: Building Essential Skills for Success
Join this free virtual event to examine the biggest challenges in supporting young children, from preschool through elementary school. 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Absenteeism Webinar
Attendance Isn't an Attendance Problem
Boost attendance by strengthening relationships, belonging, and support with practical strategies from Doug Fisher & Nancy Frey.
Content provided by Corwin
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
The Principal's Role in Collective Efficacy and Student Outcomes
Learn practical strategies that help principals translate their confidence into stronger collective teacher efficacy and student outcomes.
Content provided by Otus

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Early Childhood Head Start Providers Struggle as Trump Admin. Holds Up Funding Competitions
At least 85 Head Start providers serving more than 39,000 children across 38 states are in limbo.
A student participates in a reading and writing lesson at the Head Start program at Easterseals South Florida, an organization gets about a third of its funding from the federal government, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Miami.
A student participates in a reading and writing lesson at the Head Start program at Easterseals South Florida, an organization gets about a third of its funding from the federal government in Miami on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. As it seeks to scale back regulations governing Head Start, the Trump administration has stalled competitions for programs awaiting renewed funding.
Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo
Early Childhood What This Rural Head Start Program Stands to Lose With Federal Changes
The federal government just announced plans to de-regulate Head Start. Here's what this might mean.
10 min read
DSC01352
Lylah Bobowski, 3, plays in the outdoor playground of the Head Start Center in Athens, Pa., on August 13, 2026.
Md. Zobayer Hossain Joati for Education Week
Early Childhood Trump Admin. Moves to Dismantle Head Start Quality Standards
The Trump administration announced plans to dismantle the federal regulations that have defined Head Start for decades.
5 min read
Karen Locken plays with children in an Early Head Start program in Pasadena, California on Friday, April 18, 2025 .
Karen Locken plays with children in an Early Head Start program in Pasadena, California on Friday, April 18, 2025 .
Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/TNS
Early Childhood Could Public Preschool for 2-Year-Olds Become the Next Pre-K?
New York City and New Mexico have started "2-K" programs. But are they sustainable?
4 min read
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a press conference on Universal Child Care at Bedrock Preschool on August 04, 2026 in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx borough in New York City. Mayor Mamdani was joined by Gov. Kathy Hochul, Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels, and other elected officials on the day families of 2,000 toddlers received their 2-K offers for the program beginning in September across five school districts. More than 5,700 families applied for New York City's inaugural preschool program for 2-year-olds. Mamdani said the city plans to expand capacity to 12,000 children and include Staten Island in the program.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a press conference about the city's pre-K program at Bedrock Preschool in New York City on Aug. 4, 2026. The city is expanding public preschool to 2,000 2-year-olds, with plans to expand it to 12,000 in 2027.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images