Comparing Curriculum Trends of American and Finnish Kindergartens:

Teaching Self-Regulation through Play

Karyn Vaivoda-Barrere

Post University

2015

Abstract

The purpose of this capstone project is to present research findings and investigative results on the issue of whether kindergarteners should be exposed to social and emotional self-regulatory classroom activities prior to the start of academic learning, as is done in other countries. By examining an internationally known successful, comparable early educational environmental system and analyzing what standards are in place for learning, new determinations can be made that positively impact American schools. Success can therefore be had from day one, and no child will considered "left behind. The culminating result of this project will be presented in the form of a professional development workshop to be delivered to its intended audience, educators of young children in America and those invested in the idea that it is in the youngest mind where all things are possible.

Keywords: authenticity, cognitive, introvert, NCLB, self-regulation, skill and drill

Introduction

Todays parents, policymakers, and educators fervently debate what is best for the proper development of Americas youngest students, often endorsing and enacting proposals that thwart the appropriate development of the child as well as dictate how the teacher instructs, thereby hindering all sense of natural wonder, curiosity, and creativity in the classroom. When compared to the global successes of countries such as Finland, where literacy is 100% (Unicef, 2015) by the third grade, Connecticut offers a dismal disparity. Although the populations of both Finland and Connecticut are similar in their urban demographic percentages, 80% and 88% respectively, Connecticuts literacy rate stands at about 60% in its urban districts (CWCT, 2015) while Finland remains at 100% (Brown & Monroe, 2011). Rural districts in Connecticut continue to stay at 90%, still well below what they should be considering the amount of funding put into Connecticut school systems (Brown & Monroe, 2011). By careful and deliberate comparative analysis of both educational systems, key solutions may be revealed that can help Connecticut school systems not only discover the reasons students are not learning to full capacity but also find curriculums that can be implemented within each districts classrooms that do not compromise state and government standards. This research will start at the point in which a child enters school life and focus on the initial imprint each child receives as he or she navigates the waters we call public education.

Problem Statement

It has been twenty five years since Robert Fulghum published the book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, where he described the life of a five year old as one of wonder and natural curiosity (Fulghum, 1990). That wonderful world has been replaced with full-day course loads bursting with assessments, worksheets, and nightly homework. What happened that changed kindergarten from being a classroom where learning was through play and the sole purpose of the traditional kindergarten was to help the child become acclimated to school life? American kindergarten classrooms have shown an increase use and dependence on technology, leaving some to ask if technology is hindering or helping social development. The need to study the changes in the kindergarten class and the effects they have had on todays children is imperative and necessary, especially with the ever popular technological advances and tools that have become integral part of current learning experiences (Hartigan, 2009).

The nonprofit advocacy group Alliance for Childhood issued a report called Crisis in the Kindergarten: Why Children Need to Play in Schools in 2009 (Almon & Miller, 2009). It was found that kindergartners in the studies spent four to six times as much of the school day being coached in literacy and math as they did playing (Almon & Miller, 2009). The report also presents strong data showing abnormally high stress levels, hostility, and other behavior problems, including tantrums and breakdowns (Almon & Miller, 2009). The opportunities for young children to practice problem-solving and social skill management have been minimized into the smallest components of intentional classroom instruction. The time has come to focus on comparing the American kindergarten model versus a successful European model where students enter school at age 3 and play until at least the age of 6, learning how to get along with others and have dedicated time to practice regulating their own emotions, all the while preparing for academia. Research has shown repeatedly that students are simply more emotionally equipped for academic schooling by the age of six or seven when exposed to the this model of learning (Flippo, 2015). Finland appears to have thrived after a twenty five year reformation which allowed the teachers and parents to take back their schools, therefore, this research will continue to utilize Finnish educational statistics throughout the total comparison analysis using the mixed methods approach which focuses on research questions that call for real-life contextual understandings, multi-level perspectives, and cultural influences. Data collection is also a vital component that allows for honesty and validity in findings.

Literature Review

As most educators already know, getting ahead in the global economy has forced the American government to upgrade its schools. Faster has replaced better, with the pressure to promote the academic kindergarten where the children are more likely to be spending time in skill-and-drill activities (Guernsey, 2009, p. 11a). Preparing children for third grade assessments in kindergarten is ensured by an extra year of instruction, but at what cost? In the article What Happened to Kindergarten? (p. 30), No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is blamed as the major source of the academic obstacle Americas youngest students must hurdle. Comparing reading scores over three decades, it is easy to see the dramatic changes that have occurred in the literacy arena. Thirty years ago, only five percent of kindergarteners were readers by the end of the year (Curwood, 2007, p. 30). That score hovers at ninety percent now in some full day programs and those children who do not meet the current standard are already considered behind (Curwood, 2007). To make matters worse, there are few assessments that show accurate data relevant to motivational levels for learning, creativity, motor and social skills, and finally, self-esteem (Curwood, 2007, p. 30). However, in countries such as Finland, where academic assessments in math and science have lead the world in scoring, kindergarteners only attend half days and the focus is on self-regulation and play (Curwood, 2007). They are not introduced to structured academia until around the age of seven, and this is only after they have gained momentum in accepting responsibility for their behavioral choices and assessed maturity levels, also called executive function (Curwood, 2007, p. 32).

Parent Perspective

One parents perspective on how kindergarten can once again be a place where curiosity, learning, and creativity can reign once again suggested that by allowing learning and playtime to be one and the same this will ensure true learning takes place (Guernsey, 2009). Math and literacy skills can easily be learned, for example, in a play kitchen where labels with pictures abound and play dishes that show how many pieces of food fit on a plate, can help the child learn to count (Guernsey, 2009). This is only one of several activities teachers can create in their classrooms that combine play with learning. There is an exponential myriad of resources to choose from that offer learning through play curricula, all of which need thorough examination and just implementation so every child learns how to grow, not just what to grow.

The report Crisis in the Kindergarten (2009) addresses the need to inform policymakers on just why NCLB has not helped but instead hurt Americas youngest learners. Staff retraining, research on the importance of creating developmentally appropriate preschools and kindergartens all through the country, and discussion on revising current standards are all topics summarized in the report. Perhaps the most controversial topic covered in Crisis in the Kindergarten is the argument that calls for ending all standardized testing in the younger grades (Almon & Miller, 2009, p. 40). In the Direct Instruction System for Teaching Arithmetic and Reading (DISTAR) study where learning was teacher-centered, acts of delinquency doubled over those students who participated in kindergarten programs that were more play centered (Almon & Miller, 2009, p. 44). What are considered poor academic and behavior skills in kindergarten are reflected considerably in self-esteem all the way through school with a higher depression rate by the time the child reaches 6th grade (Almon & Miller, 2009, p. 47). Finding after finding, study after study, all reflect the same outcome; play is the work of the child and should be an important part of the childs day, not just in the early years, but in all the years of a childs school life (Almon & Miller, 2009, p. 47).

Proposed Models for Reducing Kindergarten Anxiety and Preventing Burnout

Suggested models for reducing kindergarten anxiety include those where play and non-cognitive activities are incorporated on a daily basis. Kindergarten teachers agree that their number one issue with these youngsters is difficulty following directions because all they want to do is move and play (Bodrova, 2008, p. 1). With the intensity of the rigor