Play based learning is a great way to learn that has been implemented into all Ontario kindergarten classrooms.  It is fun and helps students to learn about things they want to know, but how much are they learning?

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        Students are coming out of kindergarten and into grade one without being able to count, write or read at all.  The basic principles that were once established in kindergarten are now being delayed.  The ages between 4-6 are the prime years for students to begin learning these basic skills which they will need to know and begin to perfect throughout elementary school and over the course of their lives.  Play based learned just doesn’t seem to be cutting it.  Sure they are learning about animals and exploring their environments during outdoor play, experimenting with balance and gravity through building blocks and what it takes to take care of a home through dramatic play; but those basic reading, writing and number skills are being completely lost and forgotten.  Then the students are thrown into grade 1, expecting to know their alphabet, be able to write and identify the letters and sounds so they can start putting together words and sentences, but they can’t.

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        I am for play based learning in most areas, but there should still be some basics the students need to learn: counting to 20, number recognition, ABC’s, letter recognition and the phonic alphabet.  To achieve this some seat work is still required, though not much, I’d estimate maybe 30 minutes /day, each day focusing on something different, rotating on a weekly schedule.