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Did you know there is a growing movement for play-based learning?

Posted on April 8, 2024

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By Olivia Carrara Leontine Young Fellow

Footnotes:
  1. Tracking the winds of change on the American education policy landscape: The emergence of play-based learning legislation and its implications for the classroom ↵
  2. ibid  ↵
  3.  ibid ↵
  4. Play-Based Learning: Evidence-Based Research to Improve Children’s Learning Experiences in the Kindergarten Classroom ↵
  5. Prioritizing Play: The Importance of Play-based Learning in Early Education↵
  6. Can guidance during play enhance children’s learning and development in educational contexts? A systematic review and meta-analysis↵
  7. State Laws Requiring Play-Based Learning↵
  8.  ibid ↵
  9.  ibid ↵
  10.  ibid ↵
  11.  ibid ↵
  12.  ibid ↵
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There has been a recent movement in promoting the use of play-based learning (PBL) beyond the preschool setting. While most preschools and child care centers operate using PBL models, many K-12 schools have shifted their focus to strictly academic learning. In recent decades, the rigor of kindergarten instruction has intensified, with a typical school day consisting of textbooks and worksheets, with just one short recess. This intense commitment to school readiness is often referred to as “schoolification” and leads teachers to focus on math and literacy skills, rather than developmentally appropriate learning.1  For many young learners, developmentally appropriate learning includes a focus on play, socializing, creativity, and collaboration–all components crucial for social and emotional development.2  Not only does this type of learning facilitate social and relational growth, but it also leads to positive academic outcomes and increased language abilities.3 Policymakers are beginning to recognize the importance of play.

Play, in an academic setting, can be either free or guided. While both free and guided play can be beneficial to children, PBL focuses primarily on the use of guided learning. In guided play, early learners are encouraged to make their own choices, direct their own play, and explore their surroundings, all while an educator stands by to facilitate learning.4 The educator can help guide play by asking questions, promoting conversation, and offering ideas for expanding play–all of these can nurture learning. Guided learning can also be used in the form of games. Educators can utilize games to teach their lessons and actively involve their students in the learning process.5 While some individuals argue that direct teaching is more effective than guided play, research has shown that PBL can have positive impacts on executive functioning, social skills, and math literacy, all of which are crucial to a child’s academic progress.6

In an effort to promote the use of PBL, three states have passed legislation surrounding the use of play for kindergarten. New Hampshire was the first state to pass legislation requiring the use of PBL in kindergarten as of 2018.7 In 2023, Connecticut passed legislation mandating PBL in pre-K and public kindergarten, beginning in July 2024.8 Oklahoma, on the other hand, did not pass legislation requiring the use of PBL, but it did prohibit schools from restricting the use of PBL in early childhood education. This law passed in 2021.9

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While each of these laws assists in the promotion of PBL, a number of barriers are keeping them from being implemented properly. The first barrier is funding.10 PBL requires classrooms to have adequate play areas, toys, and supplies to allow for beneficial play. Without funding, teachers and administrators are unable to provide students with the resources they need. A second obstacle is accountability.11 While these laws mandate PBL or prohibit the restriction of such, they do not have pathways that hold schools accountable. There is nothing in place within these states to ensure that schools are following the requirements in their early grades. The laws also do not establish plans to prepare educators or train them on the use of PBL.12 While some education and professional development programs focus on PBL, educators required to use such techniques should be properly trained in the area. The barriers restricting the implementation of these requirements must be addressed, so that our youngest learners can receive their early education in the most efficient ways possible.

Access the following resources for more information on play-based learning:

Play-Based Learning Definition and Benefits

Defining Play-based Learning

Quality - What Does a High Quality Kindergarten Program Look Like

Read our latest updates on early childhood education

Urge legislators to invest in New Jersey’s child care infrastructure

Posted on April 1, 2024

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Just like our roads and railways, New Jersey’s child care infrastructure must be well-funded and sustainable. Urge your legislative representatives to prioritize investment in child care and its workforce to promote:

  • quality early care and education;
  • support for working families; and
  • a prosperous future for our children and economy.

ACNJ Seeking Early Learning Policy Analyst

Posted on March 28, 2024

Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ) is a nationally recognized research and advocacy non-profit organization that works to advance policies that help children and families. ACNJ provides policy expertise, and public education to create positive systems change and enjoys a 45-year track record in raising accountability, protecting rights and improving outcomes for children.
ACNJ’s work has improved the lives of thousands of New Jersey children in the areas of access to early care and education, health care and hunger, child protection, juvenile justice and economic supports to low-income families. The organization is governed by a diverse and highly respected Board of Trustees and staff, who are united by a deep concern for the well-being of New Jersey children, especially our most vulnerable.

ACNJ is currently seeking a Policy Analyst for Early Learning to assist ACNJ’s Director of Early Learning Policy and Advocacy advance ACNJ’s early learning programmatic and legislative agenda. This agenda is focused on the needs of young children, prenatal to age eight and their families. ACNJ is a leader in New Jersey and nationally and is committed to building an equitable foundation of early learning success for children prenatal to eight, including but not limited to accessing the high quality supports and service necessary to thrive including maternal and early relational health, affordable quality childcare, and quality preschool.

The Policy Analyst for Early Learning should be a content expert in an early learning issue area including child care and/or preschool, and have experience in working with coalitions and partners. Legislative experience is a plus.

The Policy Analyst reports directly to the Director for Early Learning Advocacy and Policy Director and will be responsible to:

  • Elevate ACNJ’s early learning policy and advocacy priorities by representing ACNJ in external meetings and developing relationships with key external stakeholders, community organizations, policymakers, leaders, funders and other advocates to support ACNJ’s early learning priorities
  • Represent ACNJ’s early learning agenda in national and state networks. Help execute the advocacy strategy for ACNJ’s policy agenda, including informing legislative and regulatory proposals, responding to inquiries from allies, and other long-term and rapid-response opportunities
  • Inform the organization’s policy positions by monitoring state early learning related legislative and regulatory proposals, budget, programmatic initiatives, and active and proposed reforms. Produce policy briefs, reports, statements, and other written materials that make early learning policy accessible to a broad array of stakeholders and ensure that they are high-quality, accurate, equity-driven, and actionable, as well as aligned with ACNJ’s mission and goals
  • Collaborate with ACNJ Communications Team to create accessible and timely content to inform and educate partner organizations, supporters, funders, staff, government officials and legislators, and others of ACNJ’s early learning policy goals, processes, and outcomes, including regular updates for newsletters, website, social media, press releases, and Action Alerts when needed
  • Keep apprised of research and advocacy nationally and in other states, reporting on early learning conversations across government, media think tanks, academia and advocates
  • Help build early learning policy and advocacy knowledge and skills among ACNJ staff and Board and keep stakeholders informed on public policy outcomes and opportunities
  • Ensure that grant deliverables supporting this position are met, and collaborate with Communications Team and Development Staff on early learning grant-related projects, assignments, and activities

The ideal candidate has/can:

  • Ability to lead and develop advocacy and policy initiatives with minimal supervision
  • Track record of critically evaluating diverse and complex sources of information, and identifying priorities and strategies based on findings
  • A strong vision for improving the policies and practices that impact children prenatal to age eight and their families – particularly children and families of color and from low-income households and other historically marginalized communities
  • Skills to communicate complex issues with external and internal audiences in a clear and credible manner
  • Work effectively with colleagues to coordinate strategies and activities across teams, and effectively confront and manage difficult situations
  • Demonstrate respect and sensitivity for all communities and cultures among staff and partners
  • Respond positively and productively to challenges and accepts new goals, priorities, or procedures, manages multiple requests and make changes based on an understanding of priorities
  • Exhibit relationship management skills such as proactively engaging in and promoting clear communication of information and needs within relationships
  • Decisiveness. Capable of timely and quality decision-making.

Experience and credential requirements:

  • Early learning related graduate degree or law degree and at least 8 years of experience in an early learning area such as child care or preschool, with progressively increasing responsibility, and proven track record of advancing early care and education policy
  • Demonstrated competency in communicating complex information clearly in writing and in oral presentations
  • Public speaking and presentation skills, as well as strong written communication skills
  • Track record of communicating with high-level policymakers, including those in the legislative and executive branches of government is a plus.

At ACNJ, we want staff to love their work and show respect and empathy to all. We encourage staff to work together across positions and roles. We are being deliberate and self-reflective about the team and culture that we are building, seeking staff who have different strengths, backgrounds and experiences, who share a passion for improving outcomes for children and strengthening families. We believe that diversity and inclusion will be key to our success and are seeking candidates who are strong in their own aptitudes and who care deeply about supporting each other's growth. The viewpoints of all of our employees and board members are key to our success.

ACNJ’s offices are located in Newark, NJ and staff is currently working a hybrid schedule of 3 days in the office and 2 days remote. The salary range for this role is $75,000 to $80,000.

Interested applicants should send their resume and cover letter to Winifred Smith-Jenkins at wsmith-jenkins@acnj.org.

Early Childhood Educators: Underpaid and Overburdened

Posted on March 20, 2024

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By Robyn E. Koenig
Pre-K Teacher
Acelero Learning, North Brunswick School District

Robyn works with children ages 3 to 5. She holds a Master's in Mathematics and Reading from Walden University, and a Bachelor's in ECE from Kean University.

To hear more about Robyn's experiences in the field of ECE, contact her at rkoenig@acelero.net.

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As a pre-K teacher for over 26 years, I’d like to share my thoughts on how teachers have been treated and some of the things we have been through over the past few years. Teaching is a calling and not everyone can do it. Many people feel early childhood education (ECE) is all play and fun.  No one knows about the paperwork and observations that go into helping 3- to 5-year-olds. Many times, ECE teachers are overlooked. Quite recently, I began to assist my place of employment with an advocacy position to help teachers be heard on a very important issue: their salary.

ECE teachers in N.J. are paid based on multiple factors such as their schooling, their experience, and where they teach. Many times, it is not consistent and varies, even within companies. For example, ECE teachers are paid 39.4% less than their K-8 colleagues. The poverty rate among these teachers is 14.1%, much higher than N.J. workers in general (5.8%), and almost 8 times higher than K-8 teachers (1.8%). I have personally seen teachers, myself included, struggle financially, which causes stress and depression. Living paycheck to paycheck with a family of four is not easy, especially if you are the breadwinner.

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Many teachers choose to leave positions due to pay–not because they want to, but because they must go where the money will better help their families. I have personally experienced this recently, in December of 2023, when my Teacher Assistant (TA) left to another school district. Why did she leave? For more pay and better benefits. These situations cause many different emotions in the classrooms of pre-K students. Of course, they don’t understand money like adults (not that I told them why she left). It is currently March 2024 and the children still ask for her and tell me they miss her. My current TA is awesome but because she is new, the entire class has reverted to its September behavior. With me being the only constant and my new TA still learning the ropes, it puts more pressure on me in the classroom– all because the pay wasn’t good enough for my previous TA to stay.

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If only my district could have matched her new offer, or at least made a counteroffer, the lives of 16 people would have been better–15 of those being the little ones. I’m not trying to sound selfish but working with ECE... it’s a big job. Being the foundation for children’s entire school career is a responsibility that comes with much pressure. The smoother the classroom runs, the better the experience for everyone. If teachers or TAs leave during the middle of the year, everyone else needs to pivot and change gears to make sure to the best of their ability that the smoothness continues.

During the pandemic, from March 2020 to June 2020, teachers were praised for their jobs. After that, they were ridiculed because of changes that were made. Most times, teachers have no say in what happens in their classroom, but the general public doesn’t know that. Also, because of the pandemic, many schools lost teachers. They left for various reasons: fear of getting sick, being fed up with the ridicule, the pay and benefits, and the biggest reason I’m aware of, was simply to stay home because they could not find child care for their own children since teachers in ECE had left in droves.

Child care is a big industry, not only in N.J. but across the country. Many people need to go to work, and with children, child care is a necessity. However, many families struggle to pay for it. I have seen costs as high as $2000 a month for infants–that is a mortgage payment!  Many people also live in “child care deserts,” which are areas where there are not enough child care spaces for the number of children in the community. This forces people to look at their finances and consider whether it is more feasible for one parent to stay at home with the child(ren), or to continue working. But how many people work to pay for child care? I am sure that number is high.

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It is an evil circle: the teachers need to get paid a livable wage and not suffer financially, but centers need to charge their clients more to make that happen. If more subsidies were available to more families, that would be a game changer.  With more financial help, families would have the opportunity to continue working, or finally return to work, while being able to provide their children access to the strong foundation of early learning that is crucial for them.

ECE teachers are a great asset to their communities and without them, the future of tomorrow’s children would be quite bleak. I hope my Senators and Representatives of N.J. see this article, understand the very real issues that exist in the field, and make decisions in support of ECE to make N.J. better for all–staff, teachers, parents, and especially children. Together, we can make a difference as we work towards building the best foundation for our children and their families. Together, with a sustainable system in place for ECE, we can solidify the future of not just N.J., but of the entire country!

Please support early childhood education!

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