New Hampshire passed legislation in 2018 requiring a play-based approach to instruction in kindergarten. The New Hampshire Partnership to Increase Early Learning Outcomes through Play wanted to understand how familiar kindergarten teachers and elementary school administrators were with play-based learning, what professional learning supports teachers were accessing, what barriers they encountered, and the extent to which teachers implemented play-based learning practices.
Key findings from this study include:
- Almost all responding teachers and administrators agreed that play supports the development of skills important in kindergarten and beyond.
- Most responding administrators were familiar with the 2018 legislative mandate; familiarity was higher among administrators who had early childhood teaching experience than among those who did not.
- Responding novice teachers engaged in professional development related to play-based learning at lower rates than their peers with more teaching experience.
- Sixty percent of responding teachers indicated that they allowed students time for guided play at least twice a week.
- Most responding teachers agreed that their kindergarten classrooms had the necessary materials and space for play-based learning but reported pressure to achieve academic benchmarks as barriers to implementing play-based learning. They also cited lack of time for planning and for fitting guided play into their class schedule as barriers to implementing play-based learning.
These findings suggest that state education leaders may want to consider strategies to promote more consistent implementation of guided play statewide. Leaders might also consider strengthening communication to increase awareness of the evidence supporting play as an effective way to foster children’s academic skills and promoting professional development that builds teachers’ technical and pedagogical skills in play-based learning.
