Being 5 or 6 years old and spending the whole day at school can be hard. Increased attention to on-going student assessments plus early preparation for standardized tests means there isn't always time to play, even in kindergarten.
"Play is essential, transformational, and integral to the development of our youngest learners." - Susan Borges & Melissa Testa, Muraco Elementary Educators
Muraco educators reached out to WFEE for help in purchasing high quality, educational toys for kindergarten classrooms. On the list? Everything from alphabet learning locks to building materials like magnetic tiles.
Magnetic tiles let kids build anything they can imagine while exploring the concepts of geometry. Learning to play together also means students are developing the ability to collaborate, a lifelong skill that becomes increasingly important as they age.
"Our hope is that a fresh infusion of purposeful, structured play materials in the kindergarten classrooms will address social emotional growth."
Teachers have discovered that while students now enter first grade with an assessment of their reading skills, some "soft" skills are not as easily measured. Younger students often struggle with working with their peers or following directions. Educators believe more time spent playing in kindergarten will help develop those skills, leading to an even more successful first grade.