How long does it take for twenty 4-year-olds to form a single-file line?
This isn’t a riddle, and if it was, preschool teachers forced to solve it probably wouldn’t find it funny.
It’s a legitimate question that gets at a bigger one: Should the youngest learners be spending time getting into, standing, and waiting in line in order to go from one part of the school day to another?
“Transitions have always been challenging, and the reason is that they are asking 4- and 5-year-olds to do things for which they are not yet developmentally ready,” said Rae Pica, an early childhood consultant. “We ask them to stand still and be quiet in a line, and they are not physically, socially, emotionally ready to do those things.”
Despite evidence against the practice, it’s likely to grow. As states move to expand public pre-K, many of these classrooms will be housed in elementary schools designed for older children—with hallways to navigate, and without a guarantee of quick access to restrooms, cafeterias, and playgrounds.
Concerns about lengthy transitions in preschool
In 2015, Dale C. Farran, now an emerita professor at Vanderbilt University, co-authored a seminal study on Tennessee’s federally funded prekindergarten program for disadvantaged children. The 2,000-plus children who enrolled in the preschool program entered kindergarten showing signs of school readiness. But by 6th grade, they had fallen behind their peers who hadn’t attended preschool in both academic and behavioral measures.
One common factor the researchers observed in the preschool classrooms? Lengthy time spent in transitions.
Among the 139 preschool classrooms that Farran and her colleagues visited, they recorded that an average of 25% of the school day—or about two hours—was spent in transitions that involved lining up for various activities like lunch or bathroom breaks.
“The amount of transition time was unbelievable, and the amount of [teachers’] negative behavior management was high,” said Farran, referring to frequent admonitions like, “Don’t touch the wall,” and “Walk, don’t run.”
The researchers observed that teachers provided negative reinforcement at a rate about twice as regularly as they offered positive reinforcement to students during these transitions.
While students in elementary school have long been expected to form and walk in lines, the practice isn’t as common in preschools, which traditionally have been housed in stand-alone centers specifically designed for younger children. There, classrooms often contain bathrooms and, ideally, doors that lead directly to outdoor play areas, Farran observed.
Strategies to make lines more preschool-friendly
Lengthy transitions involving standing and walking in lines may not be ideal for preschoolers. But logistics may demand them. And in these instances, there are ways to make them more bearable for all involved, experts suggest.
“If you keep child development in mind, you know that what motivates them is fun. It’s got to feel good,” said Pica, author of the book, Why Play?: How to Make Play an Essential Part of Early Education.
Pica recalls a site visit to a kindergarten and witnessing the teacher “screaming” at her young charges who were struggling to stay in line while heading back to their classroom.
“I thought, well, gee, what if she asked them to pretend they were climbing a mountain? What if she played follow the leader, and as the leader, tiptoed in an exaggerated way?” she said.
If it’s important to maintain quiet in the hallway, for instance, preschool teachers could suggest that students move like a whisper, or a weightless astronaut in outer space, or like a cat stalking a bird, she suggested.
“There are all kinds of possibilities,” Pica said. “And they’d be so engaged that they won’t wreak havoc.”
