Kindergartners Need Learning That Honors Play, Joy, and Discovery (Opinion)

To the Editor:

How ironic to read the article “The Expectations for Kindergarten Have Changed. How Teachers Are Adapting” (June 2, 2025) mentioned in the ISTE + ASCD SmartBrief newsletter. At the time I saw it, I was taking a break from sorting through boxes of books and saved projects that have sat in my basement since I retired from 30 years of teaching kindergarten.

I open each box—so many!—and look through these treasured items as if reconnecting with dear friends after years apart. They’re filled with examples of creativity, meaningful play, and joyful learning woven into reading, math, and science. These projects represent the passion that kept me in the kindergarten classroom for so long and has sustained me throughout my career as an educator.

It saddens me to see how “pushed down” curriculum (heavily academic content introduced earlier than ever) has become pervasive in early-childhood settings. I’ve watched the pendulum swing over the years. I see kindergarten teachers struggle to juggle two curricula—the more academic material they are told to teach and what they know is best for young children: learning that honors play, joy, and discovery and that meets their curiosity and developmental needs.

I truly hope that the renewed emphasis on child-centered and developmentally appropriate curricula continues to grow. We know from research and experience that play is essential to children’s cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development and well-being. Play and joyful enthusiasm should never be diminished in our classrooms. This type of learning leads to meaningful school experiences for both children and their teachers.

So let kindergarten expectations reflect what early-childhood professionals know to be right. May the joy and magic of kindergarten continue to flourish in classrooms across the nation.

Andrea Edson
Adjunct Professor
Lesley University
Cambridge, Mass.

Andrea Edson taught kindergarten in Newton, Mass. for more than 30 years.