Play in Kindergarten: An Interview and Observational Study in Three Canadian Classrooms

Abstract

The benefits of play to children’s development and academic learning are often discussed in the research. However, inconsistencies in definitions of play and differing perspectives concerning the purpose of play in educational settings make it challenging for teachers to determine how to productively integrate play-based pedagogies into their classrooms. This challenge is compounded by the inclusion of increasingly academic standards in kindergarten curricula resulting in the need to determine if and how teachers can integrate play-based pedagogies and mandated academic standards. The purpose of this study was to examine three teachers’ approaches to integrating play-based learning in their kindergarten classrooms. Specifically, teachers’ conceptions of the purpose of play and their role in structuring play-based learning were explicitly examined. This paper concludes with a discussion concerning the challenges teachers face in negotiating a balance between academic learning and the use of developmentally appropriate practices such as play, and the need for further research to determine if and how particular play-based approaches support the development of academic, social, and emotional skills.