Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Let’s Talk Play! Exploring the Possible Benefits of Play-Based Pedagogy on Language and Literacy Learning in Two Title I Kindergarten Classrooms

  • Published:
Early Childhood Education Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

A Correction to this article was published on 02 February 2021

This article has been updated

Abstract

The research literature well establishes that adverse conditions, such as poverty, can affect children’s cognitive development and academic achievement. Educators are challenged to translate these understandings into instructional practices grounded in research that best meet the needs of students, especially students living in poverty who are at greater risk for underperforming compared to their more resourced peers. This study explored the effects of two teachers’ direct instruction learning environments to test the hypothesis that Title I kindergarten students from low socioeconomic backgrounds will show greater gains in receptive vocabulary and literacy learning when purposeful play is incorporated. The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test 4th Edition (PPVT-4) results were analyzed in relation to students’ literacy learning as measured by i-Ready Diagnostic Reading at pre/post-test. While receptive vocabulary growth was greater in the didactic classroom, the reading growth was greater in the play-based classroom. Students with higher levels of receptive vocabulary in both classrooms also tended to perform better on measures of literacy achievement. The findings from this study, while limited, conclude that infusing both a play-based approach and systematic direct instruction may be the best way to support the literacy learning needs for all students. This study supports the bourgeoning research of play-based developmentally appropriate practices as an effective intervention to increase educational equity for vulnerable students.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Availability of Data and Material

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, KAH, upon reasonable request.

Change history

References

  • Ackerman, B. P., Brown, E. D., & Izard, C. E. (2004a). The relations between contextual risk, earned income, and the school adjustment of children from economically disadvantaged families. Developmental Psychology, 40(2), 204–216. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.40.2.204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ackerman, B. P., Brown, E. D., & Izard, C. E. (2004b). The relations between persistent poverty and contextual risk and children’s behavior in elementary school. Developmental Psychology, 40(3), 367–377. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.40.3.367.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Allee-Herndon, K. A., & Roberts, S. K. (2021). The power of purposeful play in primary grades: Adjusting pedagogy for children’s needs and academic gains. Journal of Education, 201(1), 54–63. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022057420903272.

  • Allington, R. (2005). NCLB, reading first, and whither the future? Reading Today, 23(2), 18.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Institutes for Research (2020). i-Ready® Diagnostic reading. https://charts.intensiveintervention.org/screening/tool/?id=7534542c4f422f85

  • Apthorp, H., Randel, B., Cherasaro, T., Clark, T., McKeown, M., & Beck, I. (2012). Effects of a supplemental vocabulary program on word knowledge and passage comprehension. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 5(2), 160–188. https://doi.org/10.1080/19345747.2012.660240.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bartlett, T. (2011, February 20). The case for play: How a handful of researchers are trying to save childhood. The Chronicle Review. https://www.chronicle.com/article/The-Case-for-Play/126382

  • Bassok, D., Latham, S., & Rorem, A. (2016). Is kindergarten the new first grade? AERA Open, 1(4), 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858415616358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bernhard, J. K., Winsler, A., Bleiker, C., Ginieniewicz, J., & Madigan, A. L. (2008). “Read my story!” using the early authors program to promote early literacy among diverse, urban preschool children in poverty. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk (JESPAR), 13(1), 76–105. https://doi.org/10.1080/10824660701860458.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blair, C., & Raver, C. C. (2015). School readiness and self-regulation: A developmental psychobiological approach. Annual Review of Psychology, 66(2015), 711–731. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010814-015221.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blair, C., & Raver, C. C. (2016). Poverty, stress, and brain development: New directions for prevention and intervention. Academic Pediatrics, 16(3), S30–S36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2016.01.010.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blair, C., Granger, D. A., Willoughby, M., Mills-Koonce, R., Cox, M., Greenberg, M. T., Kivlighan, K. T., Fortunato, C. K., & Investigators, F. L. P. (2011). Salivary cortisol mediates effects of poverty and parenting on executive functions in early childhood. Child Development, 82(6), 1970–1984. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2011.01643.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bodrova, E., & Leong, D. (2007). Tools of the mind: The Vygotskian approach to early childhood education (2nd ed.). Prentice-Hall.

  • Bodrova, E., & Leong, D. J. (2010). Revisiting Vygotskian perspectives on play and pedagogy. In S. Rogers (Ed.) Rethinking play and pedagogy in early childhood education: Concepts, contexts and cultures (pp. 61–72). https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203839478.

  • Bodrova, E., Germeroth, C., & Leong, D. J. (2013). Play and self-regulation: Lessons from Vygotsky. American Journal of Play, 6(1), 111–123.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bredekamp, S. (2005). Play and school readiness. Educational Perspectives, 38(1), 18–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, E. D. (2009). Brown persistence in the face of academic challenge persistence in the face of academic challenge for economically disadvantaged children. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 7(2), 173–184. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X09102650.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bumgarner, E., & Lin, M. (2014). Hispanic immigrant children’s English language acquisition: The role of socioeconomic status and early care arrangement. Early Education and Development, 25(4), 515–529. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2013.822230.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burchinal, M., McCartney, K., Steinberg, L., Crosnoe, R., Friedman, S. L., McLoyd, V., Pianta, R., & NICHD Early Child Care Research Network. (2011). Examining the black-White achievement gap among low-income children using the NICHD study of early child care and youth development. Child Development, 82(5), 1404–1420.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cavanaugh, D. M., Clemence, K. J., Teale, M. M., Rule, A. C., & Montgomery, S. E. (2017). Kindergarten scores, storytelling, executive function, and motivation improved through literacy-rich guided play. Early Childhood Educational Journal, 45(6), 831–843. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-016-0832-8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Center on Educational Policy (2007). Answering the question that matters most: Has student achievement increased since No Child Left Behind? Center on Educational Policy.

  • Cook, C., Goodman, N. D., & Schulz, L. E. (2011). Where science starts: Spontaneous experiments in preschoolers’ exploratory play. Cognition, 120(3), 341–349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2011.03.003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Copple, C., & Bredekamp, S. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through Age 8 (3rd edn.). National Association for the Education of Young Children.

  • Cremin, T., Glauert, E., Craft, A., Compton, A., & Stylianidou, F. (2015). Creative little scientists: Exploring pedagogical synergies between inquiry-based and creative approaches in early years science. Education 3–13, 43(4), 404–419. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2015.1020655.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Curriculum Associates. (2000). i-Ready Diagnostic and Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) Linking Study Overview. Retrieved from https://www.curriculumassociates.com/-/media/mainsite/files/i-ready/iready-diagnostic-assessments-linking-study-overview-florida-2020.pdf

  • Curriculum Associates (2018). i-Ready Scale Score Placement Tables (2018–2019 School Year). Retrieved from https://www.esboces.org/cms/lib/NY01914091/Centricity/Domain/533/iready-placement-tables-2018-2019.pdf

  • Curriculum Associates. (n.d.). Adaptive Assessment Pinpoints Needs. Retrieved from https://www.curriculumassociates.com/products/i-ready/assessment/diagnostic

  • Daniels, K. (2014). Cultural agents creating texts: A collaborative space adventure. Literacy, 48(2), 103–111. https://doi.org/10.1111/lit.12031.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dealey, R. P., & Stone, M. H. (2018). Exploring out-of-school play and educational readiness. Early Childhood Education Journal, 46(2), 201–208.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeBruin-Parecki, A., & Squibb, K. (2011). Promoting at-risk preschool children’s comprehension through research-based strategy instruction. Reading Horizons, 51(1), 41–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dore, R. A., Smith, E. D., & Lillard, A. S. (2015). How is theory of mind useful? Perhaps to enable social pretend play. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1559. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01559.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunn, L. M., & Dunn, D. M., (2007). Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, 4th Edn. Pearson Assessments.

  • Dunn, L., & Dunn, D. (2013). PPVT Technical Report. Pearson Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://images.pearsonassessments.com/images/assets/ppvt-4/2013-PPVT-Tech-RPT.pdf

  • Engle, P., & Black, M. (2008). The effect of poverty on child development and educational outcomes. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1136(1), 243–256. https://doi.org/10.1196/annals.1425.023.

  • Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 §1177, 114th Congress (2015) (enacted 2016).

  • Fisher, E. P. (1992). The impact of play on development: A meta-analysis. Play & Culture, 5(2), 159–181.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, K., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R. M., Singer, D., & Berk, L. E. (2011). Playing around in school: Implications for learning and educational policy. In A. Pellegrini (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of play (pp. 341–363). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flores, M. M., & Ganz, J. B. (2009). Effects of direct instruction on the reading comprehension of students with autism and developmental disabilities. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 44(1), 39–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilbert, J. L., Harte, H. A., & Patrick, C. (2011). Purposeful play leads to school readiness. Dimensions of Early Childhood, 39(1), 29–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein, H., Ziolkowski, R. A., Bojczyk, K. E., Marty, A., Schneider, N., Harpring, J., & Haring, C. D. (2017). Academic vocabulary learning in first through third grade low-income schools: Effects of automated supplemental instruction. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 60, 3237–3258.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grasparil, T. A., & Hernandez, D. A. (2015). Predictors of Latino English learners’ reading comprehension proficiency. Journal of Educational Research and Practice, 5(1), 35–57. https://doi.org/10.5590/JERAP.2015.05.1.03.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griner, A. C., & Lue Stewart, M. (2012). Addressing the achievement gap and disproportionality through the use of culturally responsive teaching practices. Urban Education, 48(4), 585–621. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085912456847.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Halle, T., Forry, N., Hair, E., Perper, K., Wandner, L., Wessel, J., & Vick, J. (2009). (rep.). Disparities in Early Learning and Development: Lessons from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Birth Cohort (ECLS-B). Child Trends.

  • Han, M., Moore, N., Vukelich, C., & Buell, M. (2010). Does play make a difference? Effects of play intervention on at-risk preschoolers’ vocabulary learning. American Journal of Play, 3(1), 82–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harms, T., Jacobs, E. V., & White, D. R. (2013). School-age care environment rating scale updated (SACERS). New York: Teachers College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hassinger-Das, B., Ridge, K., Parker, A., Golinkoff, R. M., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Dickinson, D. K. (2016). Building vocabulary knowledge in preschoolers through shared book reading and gameplay. Mind, Brain, and Education, 10(2), 71–80. https://doi.org/10.1111/mbe.12103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hatch, J. A. (2002). Accountability shovedown: Resisting the standards movement in early childhood education. Phi Delta Kappan, 83(6), 457–462.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McGraw Hill. (n.d.) Literacy curriculum for elementary: Wonders. McGraw Hill https://www.mheducation.com/prek-12/program/microsites/MKTSP-BGA07M0/wonders.html.

  • Hu, B., Fan, X., Leong, S. S. L., & Li, K. (2015). Why is group teaching so important to Chinese children’s development? Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 40(1), 4–12 https://doi.org/10./1177/183693911504000102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, B., Fan, X., Gu, C., & Yang, N. (2016). Applicability of the classroom assessment scoring system in Chinese preschools based on psychometric evidence. Early Education and Development, 27(5), 714–734. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2016.1113069 (SSCI; 2015 IF=1.183; 5Y-IF=1.652; Rank: 72/231).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, F. L., & Invernizzi, M. A. (2012). The association of kindergarten entry age with early literacy outcomes. The Journal of Educational Research, 105(6), 431–441. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2012.658456.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, Y. S., Puranik, C., & Otaiba, S. (2015). Developmental trajectories of writing skills in first grade. The Elementary School Journal, 115(4), 593–613. https://doi.org/10.1086/681971.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lillard, A. S., Lerner, M. D., Hopkins, E. J., Dore, R. A., Smith, E. D., & Palmquist, C. M. (2012). The impact of pretend play on children’s development: A review of the evidence. Psychology Bulletin, 139(1), 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029321.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lipsey, M. W., Farran, D. C., Hurley, S. M, Hofer, K. G., and Bilbrey, C. (2009). Effects of a literacy focused curriculum and a developmental curriculum on school readiness and subsequent state achievement test outcomes in rural prekindergarten classrooms. 2009 Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness Conference Proceeding. https://www.sree.org/assets/conferences/2009/program.pdf

  • Marcella, J., Howes, C., & Fuligni, A. S. (2014). Exploring cumulative risk and family literacy practices in low-income Latino families. Early Education and Development, 25(1), 36–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2013.780504.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Massey, S. L. (2013). From the reading rug to the play center: Enhancing vocabulary and comprehensive language skills by connecting storybook reaidng and guided play. Early Childhood Education Journal, 41(2), 125–131.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McArdle, K., Harrison, T., & Harrison, D. (2013). Does a nurturing approach that uses an outdoor play environment build resilience in children from a challenging background? Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning. https://doi.org/10.1080/14729679.2013.776862.

  • McCartney, K., Dearing, E., Taylor, B. A., & Bub, K. L. (2007). Quality child care supports the achievement of low-income children: Direct and indirect pathways through caregiving and the home environment. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2007.06.010.

  • McDonald, P. (2018). Observing, planning, guiding: How an intentional teacher meets standards through play. Young Children, 73(1) Retrieved from https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/mar2018/observing-planning-guiding.

  • McLear, C., Trentacosta, C. J., & Smith-Darden, J. (2016). Child self-regulation, parental secure base scripts, and at-risk kindergartners’ academic achievement. Early Education and Development. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2016.1091972.

  • McLeod, R. H., Hardy, J. K., & Kaiser, A. P. (2017). The effects of play-based intervention on vocabulary acquisition by preschoolers at risk for reading and language delays. Journal of Early Intervention. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053815117702927.

  • Moreno, A. J., Shwayder, I., & Friedman, I. D. (2017). The function of executive function: Everyday manifestations of regulated thinking in preschool settings. Early Childhood Education Journal, 45(2). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-016-0777-y.

  • Mraz, K., Porcelli, A., & Tyler, C. (2016). Purposeful play: A teacher’s guide to igniting deep and joyful learning across the day. Heinemann.

  • Myers, J. M., & Ankrum, J. W. (2018). Explicit vocabulary instruction in kindergarten: Case studies of students with and without language disorders. Early Childhood Education Journal, 46, 683–691. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-018-0896-8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nitecki, E., & Chung, M. H. (2013). What is not covered by the standards: How to support emergent literacy in preschool classrooms. Language and Literacy Spectrum, 23, 46–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nolan, A., Taket, A., & Stagnitti, K. (2014). Supporting resilience in early years classrooms: The role of the teacher. In Teachers and teaching: Theory and practice. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2014.937955.

  • Osborne, J. W., & Waters, E. (2002). Four assumptions of multiple regression that researchers should always test. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 8(2) Available at: http://www-psychology.concordia.ca/fac/kline/495/osborne.pdf.

  • Owens, D. D. (2010). Commercial reading programmes as the solution for children living in poverty. Literacy, 44(3), 112–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parette, H. P., Blum, C., Boeckmann, N. M., & Watts, E. H. (2009). Teaching word recognition to young children who are at risk using Microsoft® PowerPoint™ coupled with direct instruction. Early Childhood Education Journal, 36, 393–401. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-008-0300-1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pellegrini, A. D. (2013). Play. In P. D. Zelazo (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of developmental psychology, Vol. 2 : Self and other (pp. 276–299). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pellis, S. M., Pellis, V. C., & Himmler, B. T. (2014). How play makes for a more adaptable brain: A comparative and neural perspective. American Journal of Play, 7(1), 73–98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piaget, J. (1977). Biology and knowledge: An essay on the relations between organic regulations and cognitive processes. University of Chicago Press.

  • Pianta, R. C., La Paro, K. M., & Hamre, B. K. (2008). Classroom assessment scoring system manual: Pre-K. Brookes.

  • Prioletta, J., & Pyle, A. (2017). Play and gender in Ontario kindergarten classrooms: Implications for literacy learning. International Journal of Early Years Education, 25(4), 393–408. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2017.1390446.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pyle, A., & Danniels, E. (2017). A continuum of play-based learning: The role of the teacher in play-based pedagogy and the fear of hijacking play. Early Education and Development, 28(3), 274–289. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2016.1220771.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pyle, A., Prioletta, J., & Poliszczuk, D. (2018). The play-literacy interface in full-day kindergarten classrooms. Early Childhood Education Journal, 46(1), 117–127. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-017-0852-z.

  • Ramani, G. B., & Siegler, R. S. (2008). Promoting broad and stable improvements in low-income children’s numerical knowledge through playing number board games. Child Development, 79(2), 375–394. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.01131.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ranz-Smith, D. J. (2007). Teacher perception of play: In leaving no child behind are teachers leaving childhood behind? Early Education and Development. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409280701280425.

  • Raver, C. C., Blair, C., & Willoughby, M. (2012). Poverty as a predictor of 4-year-olds’ executive function: New perspectives on models of differential susceptibility. Developmental Psychology, 49(2), 292–304. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0028343.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Razza, R. A., Martin, A., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2015). Are approaches to learning in kindergarten associated with academic and social competence similarly? Child and Youth Care Forum. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-015-9307-0.

  • Razza, R. A., Martin, A., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2016). Links between motor control and classroom behaviors: Moderation by low birth weight. Journal of Child and Family Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-016-0410-0.

  • Repko-Erwin, M. E. (2017). Was kindergarten left behind? Examining US kindergarten as the new first grade in the wake of “no child left behind.”. Global Education Review, 4(2), 58–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Riek, J. (2014). Reinstating P.L.a.Y. pedagogy in early elementary classrooms. The International Journal of Early Childhood Learning, 22(1), 1–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roskos, K. A., & Christie, J. F. (2013). Gaining ground in understanding the play-literacy relationship. American Journal of Play, 6(1), 82–97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rothwell, J. (2016, December 23). The declining productivity of education. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/social-mobility-memos/2016/12/23/the-declining-productivity-of-education/.

  • Rupley, W. H., Blair, T. R., & Nichols, W. D. (2009). Effective reading instruction for struggling readers: The role of direct/explicit teaching. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 25(2–3), 125–138. https://doi.org/10.1080/10573560802683523.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Russell, J. L. (2011). From child’s garden to academic press: The role of shifting institutional logics in redefining kindergarten education. American Educational Research Journal, 48(2), 236–267.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Russo, H. L. (2013). Play and creativity at the center of curriculum and assessment: A new York City school’s journey to re-think curricular pedagogy. Bordón. Revista de Pedagogia (Journal of Education), 61(1), 131–146. https://doi.org/10.13042/brp.2013.65109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sandberg, A., & Heden, R. (2011). Play’s importance in school. Education, 3–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004270903530441.

  • Schug, M. C., Tarver, S. G., & Western, R. D. (2001). Direct instruction and the teaching of early reading: Wisconsin’s teacher-led insurgency. Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, 14(2), 1–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seven, Y., Hull, K., Madsen, K., Ferron, J., Peters-Sanders, L., Soto, X., Kelley, E. S., & Goldstein, H. (2020). Classwide extensions of vocabulary intervention improve learning of academic vocabulary by preschoolers. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 63, 173–189.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharkins, K. A., Leger, S. E., & Ernest, J. M. (2017). Examining effects of poverty, maternal depression, and children’s self-regulation abilities on the development of language and cognition in early childhood: An early head start perspective. Early Childhood Education Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-016-0787-9.

  • Stanton-Chapman, T. L., Chapman, D. A., Kaiser, A. P., & Hancock, T. B. (2004). Cumulative risk and low-income children’s language development. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/02711214040240040401.

  • Stockard, J., Wood, T. W., Coughlin, C., & Khoury, C. R. (2018). The effectiveness of direct instruction curricula: A meta-analysis of a half century of research. Review of Educational Research, 88(4), 479–507. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654317751919.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sung, Y. (2014). Differential effect of social-emotional behaviors on academic achievement of language-minority students. Child and Youth Care Forum. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-014-9245-2.

  • Vallotton, C. D., Harewood, T., Ayoub, C. A., Pan, B., Mastergeorge, A. M., & Brophy-Herb, H. (2012). Buffering boys and boosting girls: The protective and promotive effects of early head start for children’s expressive language in the context of parenting stress. Early Childhood Research Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2011.03.001.

  • Vygotsky, L. (1978). Interaction between learning and development. From: Mind and Society (pp. 79–91). Harvard University Press.

  • Watkins, T. B. (2017). The effectiveness of direct instruction reading on African American, Caucasian, and Hispanic students. International Journal of Education and Human Development, 3(6), 34–46.

  • Weisberg, D. S., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. M. (2013). Guided play: Where curricular goals meet a playful pedagogy. Mind, Brain, and Education, 7(2), 104–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • What Works Clearinghouse. (n.d.). Find what works. Retrieved from https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/

  • White, R. E. (2013). The power of play: A research summary on play and learning. Smart Play. Minnesota Children's Museum.

  • Wilson Language Training. (n.d.) Fundations Wilson Language Basics: Building a foundation for reading and spelling in grades K-3. https://www.wilsonlanguage.com/programs/fundations/.

  • Xu, Y., Chin, C., Reed, E., & Hutchinson, C. (2014). The effects of a comprehensive early literacy project on preschoolers’ language and literacy skills. Early Childhood Education Journal, 42, 295–304. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-013-0613-6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Jeanette Garcia (University of Central Florida) for engaging in intellectual discussions about this research which made it stronger. Above all, we are deeply appreciative of the involvement of all who participated in this study, including the principal, teachers, children, and their families.

Funding

We did not receive funding for this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Teacher Education, College of Community Innovation and Education, University of Central Florida, 12494 University Boulevard, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA

    Karyn A. Allee-Herndon, Sherron Killingsworth Roberts & Martha Lue Stewart

  2. Faculty of Education, University of Macau, E33 Avenue da Universidade, Taipa, Macau, China

    BiYing Hu

  3. Department of Learning Sciences and Educational Research, College of Community Innovation and Education, University of Central Florida, 12494 University Boulevard, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA

    M. H. Clark

Authors
  1. Karyn A. Allee-Herndon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sherron Killingsworth Roberts
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. BiYing Hu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M. H. Clark
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Martha Lue Stewart
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Karyn A. Allee-Herndon.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

We have no known conflicts of interest to report.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

The original online version of this article was revised: In abstract, the spacing error has been corrected and the in-text citation “Authors, 2020” has been corrected to “Allee-Herndon and Roberts, 2021.”

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Allee-Herndon, K.A., Roberts, S.K., Hu, B. et al. Let’s Talk Play! Exploring the Possible Benefits of Play-Based Pedagogy on Language and Literacy Learning in Two Title I Kindergarten Classrooms. Early Childhood Educ J 50, 119–132 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-020-01141-6

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-020-01141-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation