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

Jobs Regional K-12 Virtual Career Fair: DMV
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
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
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
Making AI Work in Schools: From Experimentation to Purposeful Practice
AI use is expanding in schools. Learn how district leaders can move from experimentation to coordinated, systemwide impact.
Content provided by Frontline Education
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 Well-Being & Movement Webinar
Building Resilient Students: Leadership Beyond the Classroom
How can schools build resilient, confident students? Join education leaders to explore new strategies for leadership and well-being.
Content provided by IMG Academy

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 What Are the Ingredients of a Good Preschool Curriculum?
Nonprofit curriculum reviewer EdReports has started reviewing pre-K materials.
7 min read
Handout showing Library at Austin Achieve in Austin, Texas.
A classroom library at Austin Achieve, a charter school in Austin, Texas, which uses Every Child Ready, one of three curriculum series recently reviewed by an external rating organizations.
Every Child Ready
Early Childhood State Pre-K Hits Record Enrollment, But Advocates Caution About Quality
State-sponsored preschool programs enrolled 1.8 million children in 2024-25, a new report finds. But some were higher quality than others.
2 min read
Ethan Quinn, 4, stands on a rock while playing with his classmates outside his daycare center in Concord, Calif., Nov. 1, 2023. Enrollment in state-supported preschool programs reached nearly 1.8 million students in 2024-25, a new record.
Ethan Quinn, 4, stands on a rock while playing with his classmates outside his daycare center in Concord, Calif., Nov. 1, 2023. Nationwide, enrollment in state-supported preschool programs reached nearly 1.8 million students in 2024-25, a new record; California was among the states with high growth.
Jae C. Hong/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.
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 Q&A What One Researcher Saw Inside 29 Kindergarten Classrooms
Developmental psychologist Susan Engel shares insights from two years in kindergarten classrooms.
10 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