The New Hampshire Partnership aims to improve the quality and consistency of play-based learning practices and to ensure equity of access to high-quality play-based learning in kindergarten classrooms across the state. High-quality early childhood education is linked to long-term educational and social gains.1, 2 Play-based learning, in particular, has been shown to improve children’s literacy, math, and social-emotional outcomes.3, 4, 5
Specifically, REL Northeast & Islands is supporting the New Hampshire Department of Education (NHDOE) in its effort to measure kindergarten teachers’ understanding and implementation of play-based learning practices. This work has included a review of the literature pertaining to measuring the implementation of play-based learning and other kindergarten classroom interventions, an inventory of the data currently collected in New Hampshire to measure play-based learning practices, and support for the development and administration of statewide surveys to measure kindergarten teachers’ understanding and implementation of play-based learning. REL Northeast & Islands examined the data from these statewide surveys to conduct a descriptive research study of play-based learning practices across the state. As work has progressed, REL Northeast & Islands and its partners have co-developed dissemination products that include a fact sheet about the evidence on play-based learning for parents and caregivers, and a video highlighting the kindergarten teacher’s role in guided play. Going forward, the partnership will produce a webinar and infographic describing the research study findings.
At the request of the Education Commissioner, REL Northeast & Islands will add a new training and technical assistance project in 2026 to support the state in understanding the implementation and perceived impacts of the newly enacted legislation requiring “bell-to-bell” cell phone bans for all students. This uniform statewide approach to restricting cell phone use has been a key priority of Governor Kelly Ayotte’s administration and is intended to reduce classroom distractions and support student achievement. NHDOE will use the survey findings to inform the guidance they provide districts and strengthen the policy rollout over time.
Partner Organizations: New Hampshire Department of Education, University of New Hampshire, Manchester School District, Concord Unified School District
1 Conti, G., Heckman, J. J., & Pinto, R. (2016). The effects of two influential early childhood interventions on health and healthy behaviour. Economic Journal, 126(596), F28–F65. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecoj.12420M.
2 McCoy, D. C., Yoshikawa, H., Ziol-Guest, K. M., Duncan, G. J., Schindler, H. S., Magnuson, K., Yang, R., Koepp, A., Shonkoff, J. P. (2017). Impacts of early childhood education on medium- and long-term educational outcomes. Educational Researcher, 46(8), 474–487. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X17737739
3 Stagnitti, K., Bailey, A., Hudspeth Stevenson, E., Reynolds, E., & Kidd, E. (2016). An investigation into the effect of play-based instruction on the development of play skills and oral language. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 14(4), 389–406.
4 Vogt, F., Hauser, B., Stebler, R., Rechsteiner, K., & Urech, C. (2018). Learning through play–pedagogy and learning outcomes in early childhood mathematics. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 26(4), 589–603.
5 Zosh, J. M., Hopkins, E. J., Jensen, H., Liu, C., Neale, D., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Solis, S. L. & Whitebread, D. (2017). Learning through play: A review of the evidence. The Lego Foundation, DK.
Current projects
At the request of the Education Commissioner, REL Northeast & Islands will support the state in understanding the implementation and perceived impacts of newly enacted legislation requiring “bell-to-bell” cell phone bans for all students. This uniform statewide approach to restricting cell phone use is intended to reduce classroom distractions and support student achievement. The New Hampshire Department of Education will use the survey findings to inform the guidance they provide to districts and to strengthen the policy rollout over time.
This study will use data generated by the implementation measurement project to describe play-based learning practices in kindergarten classrooms across New Hampshire. Specifically, it will provide decision-makers with information about kindergarten teachers’ familiarity with and implementation of play-based learning practices in their classrooms and about administrators’ familiarity with and support for play-based learning in their schools. District and state leaders will use the study results to make decisions about how to design and allocate coaching and professional development resources to strengthen play-based learning practices across the state or in areas of greatest need.
Completed projects
The partnership supported the implementation of New Hampshire’s play-based kindergarten legislation by developing a strategy and tools for measuring kindergarten teachers’ familiarity and implementation of play-based learning. Future training, coaching, and technical support project work will be informed by the results of the descriptive study and will be aimed at supporting partners’ use of data to improve the quality and consistency of play-based learning.