THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. — The Tumwater School District has implemented mandatory play-based learning across all kindergarten classrooms, requiring one hour of daily free play while maintaining ...

CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C. — Cabarrus County Schools is rolling out a new district‑wide strategy to boost kindergarten learning — play‑based instruction. Every kindergarten classroom in the district is now ...

A third grade student sets the last domino down in a row along the edge of a table while playing in Crystal O’Brien’s classroom at Shidler Elementary School in Oklahoma City. Credit: Ariel ...

Teaching younger children through 'guided' play supports key aspects of their learning and development at least as well - and sometimes better - than the traditional direct instruction they usually ...

When Krystyna Kalishevskyi emigrated from Ukraine with her family last year, she had experienced more trauma and fear than a 4-year-old can cope with. Going to school in California was a big challenge ...

Corrected: This story has been updated to more accurately describe how Mansfield Elementary’s test scores compare to those of other schools in Connecticut. When the doors to Mansfield Elementary ...

Parents visiting their children’s kindergarten class for the first time may think they’ve arrived at the wrong room, especially if they expect it to resemble the kindergarten they attended as ...

Play-based learning is transforming early childhood education by blending joy with intentional teaching. Research shows it fuels cognitive, social, and emotional growth while keeping children engaged.

Play-based learning isn’t just fun—it’s a powerful, research-backed approach that fuels children’s cognitive, social, and emotional growth. By blending structured goals with open-ended exploration, ...

OKLAHOMA CITY — Two third-graders sat on the floor of their classroom and lined up a row of dominoes along the edge of a low-lying table. They positioned themselves at each end of the row of ...