Kindergarten

A kindergartener in a play-based learning class rolls out Play-Doh at Symonds Elementary School in Keene, N.H. on Nov. 7, 2024. Jessica Arrow, who teaches the kindergarten class, has been advocating for play-based learning initiatives in the state.
A kindergartener in a play-based learning class rolls out Play-Doh at Symonds Elementary School in Keene, N.H., on Nov. 7, 2024. Jessica Arrow, who teaches the kindergarten class, has been advocating for play-based learning initiatives in the state.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Early Childhood Academic Pressure is Driving—and Preventing—The Return to Play in Kindergarten
A new report examines the impact of one state's efforts to return play to kindergarten.
Elizabeth Heubeck, July 7, 2026
•
4 min read
A kindergartner at Brownell K-2 STEM Academy, draws a heart on an iPad to send to a friend while celebrating Valentine's Day at school on Feb. 14, 2017, in Flint, Mich. The debate about age and exposure to technology in the classroom continues to impact parents and educators.
A kindergartner at Brownell K-2 STEM Academy draws a heart on an iPad to send to a friend while celebrating Valentine's Day at school on Feb. 14, 2017, in Flint, Mich. The debate about age and exposure to technology in the classroom continues to impact parents and educators.
Mac Snyder/The Flint Journal-MLive.com via AP
Early Childhood Tech for Young Students: Do 1:1 Devices Belong in Kindergarten Classrooms?
The majority of K-2 students have 1-to-1access to computing devices in their classrooms. Should they?
Elizabeth Heubeck, June 26, 2026
•
7 min read
MVCS 1262
A student washes her hands at a school in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Feb. 12, 2026. Emotional regulation tops teachers’ kindergarten readiness lists.
Kevin Mohatt for Education Week
Early Childhood What Teachers Really Want From Kindergartners Isn’t Academic
Reading readiness barely registers on teachers' wish list. Here's what counts.
Elizabeth Heubeck, June 25, 2026
•
3 min read
Estes Elementary School kindergarten students Evelyn Bolmer, front left; Jase Bellamy, back right; and Eric Guarneros, front right, listen as their teacher Faith Harralson assists Bolmer with a math equation, as they ride pedal desks at school in Owensboro, Ky., Jan. 19, 2016.
Estes Elementary School kindergarten students Evelyn Bolmer, front left; Jase Bellamy, back right; and Eric Guarneros, front right, listen as their teacher Faith Harralson assists Bolmer with a math equation, as they ride pedal desks at school in Owensboro, Ky., Jan. 19, 2016. New research shows students who start kindergarten behind in reading and math are unlikely to catch up by 3rd grade.
Jenny Sevcik/The Messenger-Inquirer via AP
Reading & Literacy Kindergartners' Math and Reading Scores Can Predict Their 3rd Grade Performance
But their academic trajectories aren't set in stone, and early intervention is key, researchers say.
Sarah Schwartz, June 25, 2026
•
3 min read
A kindergartner, 5, stands with her arms crossed as she waits for classmates to use the restroom before they can return to the classroom, on Aug. 14, 2014, at an elementary school in Beecher, Mich.
A kindergartner, 5, stands with her arms crossed as she waits for classmates to use the restroom before they can return to the classroom, on Aug. 14, 2014, at an elementary school in Beecher, Mich.
Jake May/The Flint Journal via AP
Early Childhood Who’s Responsible for Toilet Training? Schools or Families?
Districts grapple with how to respond when students aren't toilet-trained.
Elizabeth Heubeck, May 15, 2026
•
4 min read
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
•
4 min read
MVCS 2522
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
•
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
•
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
•
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
•
1 min read
Two girls using dice in math lesson.
E+
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
•
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
•
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
•
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
•
1 min read