Kindergarten

Pre-K 4 SA students eat a provided breakfast, Oct. 9, 2025, in San Antonio.
Pre-K 4 SA students eat a provided breakfast, Oct. 9, 2025, in San Antonio. Experts say everyday classroom moments—like meals—can offer important opportunities for conversation that support young children’s language and early literacy development.
Eric Gay/AP
Early Childhood Kindergartners Aren't Talking Enough in Class. Why That Matters
In the quest to develop young readers, oral language takes a back seat to the written word, say experts.
Elizabeth Heubeck, April 20, 2026
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4 min read
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A kindergarten sign is displayed at a school in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Feb. 12, 2026, as classrooms nationwide shift toward more academic instruction and less play.
Kevin Mohatt for Education Week
Early Childhood Q&A What One Researcher Saw Inside 29 Kindergarten Classrooms
Developmental psychologist Susan Engel shares insights from two years in kindergarten classrooms.
Elizabeth Heubeck, April 3, 2026
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10 min read
Watercolor illustration of a diverse group of young kindergarten through 3rd grade school children all holding their own digital device.
Illustration by Gina Tomko/Education Week + Canva
Early Childhood 'Addicted to Screens': Teachers Sound the Alarm on Their Youngest Students
Too many students are entering school unprepared to learn, according to a national survey of early educators.
Elizabeth Heubeck, April 2, 2026
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4 min read
Kindergartener Jaxon Schofield-Wood leaps off the bus excited for his first day of school on Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, at Thomson Elementary School in Davison, Mich.
A kindergartener leaps off the bus excited for his first day of school on Aug. 21, 2023, in Davison, Mich. Since 2017, the practice of redshirting has remained fairly steady at about 5% of all would-be incoming kindergartners, save for a bump during the pandemic among all children—most notably from families in high-poverty school districts.
Jake May/The Flint Journal via AP
Early Childhood Has the Practice of Redshirting Kindergartners Peaked?
Holding kids back from kindergarten may be less popular than expected. Here's why.
Elizabeth Heubeck, April 1, 2026
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5 min read
A Pre-K 4 SA student walks a beam on the playground, Oct. 9, 2025, in San Antonio.
<br/>A Pre-K 4 SA student walks a beam on the playground, Oct. 9, 2025, in San Antonio.
Eric Gay/AP
Early Childhood Quick Answers to Common Questions About Early Childhood Education
Education Week answers some of the most common questions about early childhood education.
Maya Riser-Kositsky, March 25, 2026
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1 min read
Two girls using dice in math lesson.
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Early Childhood Play-Based Learning Yields More Joy, Higher Scores at This Elementary School
Teachers who have incorporated guided play into their lessons say they've seen students thrive.
Elizabeth Heubeck, December 29, 2025
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7 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
School & District Management Letter to the Editor Teaching Executive Functions Should Start in Kindergarten
Starting earlier can help with development.
December 19, 2025
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1 min read
Silas McLellan, a kindergartener in a play-based learning class, plays with toy blocks during “Choice Time,” at Symonds Elementary School in Keene, N.H. on Nov. 7, 2024.
Silas McLellan, a kindergartner in a play-based learning class, plays with toy blocks during Choice Time at Symonds Elementary School in Keene, N.H., on Nov. 7, 2024. After years of early grades becoming increasingly academic, play-based learning is making a comeback.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Early Childhood Explainer Play-Based Learning in Kindergarten Is Making a Comeback. Here's What It Means
Amid rigorous academic expectations in the early grades, some advocates push for a return to play.
Elizabeth Heubeck, October 21, 2025
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7 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Early Childhood Letter to the Editor Kindergartners Need Learning That Honors Play, Joy, and Discovery
A retired kindergarten teacher explains what she thinks the curricula lacks in this letter to the editor.
September 26, 2025
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1 min read
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Early Childhood How Old Should a Kindergartner Be? Parents and Districts Clash Over Cutoff Dates
As some districts and states strictly enforce kindergarten cutoff dates, parents feel the squeeze.
Elizabeth Heubeck, September 12, 2025
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6 min read
Northeast kindergarten teacher Patty Benjamin and Valeria Jackson gets students settled in their new classroom at Northeast Elementary located at 1024 Fleming Ave. on the first day of school on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025.
Kindergarten students get settled in their new classroom at Northeast Elementary in Jackson, Mich., on the first day of school on Aug. 20, 2025. Across the country, educators report that kindergartners are struggling with regulating their emotions.
Abra Richardson/Tribune News Service
Student Well-Being & Movement Is More Playtime the Antidote to Kindergartners’ Behavior Problems?
Kindergartners are struggling with self-control—a key indicator of kindergarten readiness. Is more unstructured play a solution?
Elizabeth Heubeck, August 22, 2025
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4 min read
First graders take a closer look at bees during a class lesson.
First graders take a closer look at bees during a class lesson. Science is often neglected in the early grades, but new research suggests that young students who are exposed early to science instruction do better on science exams—potentially setting them up for later success in the discipline.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Science Making Time for Science in Kindergarten Could Have a Big Payoff
When teachers in grades P-1 received high-quality curriculum and PD in science, students' scores rose, a new meta-analysis finds.
Sarah Schwartz, August 14, 2025
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4 min read
Kindergarten students practice greeting each other in a dual-language immersion class.
Kindergarten students practice greeting each other in a dual-language immersion class. Teachers report that more kindergartners are coming to class unable to effectively manage their emotions.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Early Childhood Download 7 Ways to Help Kindergartners Regulate Their Emotions (DOWNLOADABLE)
Teachers report a surge in kindergartners struggling to regulate their emotions. This tip sheet has steps on how to respond.
Elizabeth Heubeck & Vanessa Solis, August 7, 2025
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1 min read
A kindergartener in a play-based learning class prepares for outdoor forest play time at Symonds Elementary School in Keene, N.H. on Nov. 7, 2024.
A kindergartner in a play-based learning class prepares for outdoor forest play time at Symonds Elementary School in Keene, N.H., on Nov. 7, 2024. Across the country, kindergartners are struggling with self-regulation.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Early Childhood ‘Crying, Yelling, Shutting Down’: There’s a Surge in Kindergarten Tantrums. Why?
Educators are reporting a surge in the number of kindergartners coming to school unable to regulate their emotions. What's going on?
Elizabeth Heubeck, July 25, 2025
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6 min read