What Kindergarten in the 1970s Got Right (and Why It Still Matters Today)
I can remember my kindergarten classroom so vividly–the big, chunky crayons, the paste in a jar, the “Big Chief” tablet (yikes…that was a little culturally insensitive), the blocks and the “homemaking” center. I remember my teacher, with her long, silky hair and cheery voice. I’m sure she was a princess. I remember singing songs and finger painting, and SO MUCH playing.
Of course, not everything about kindergarten in the 1970s was perfect, and we’ve learned so much about how young children grow and learn since then. Today’s classrooms are more inclusive, we have a deeper understanding of early literacy and child development, and teachers have access to incredible resources that simply didn’t exist when I was five years old.
But I do think we got a few things wonderfully right. The joy of learning through play. The magic of hands-on discovery. The importance of creativity, curiosity, movement, and meaningful relationships. These aren’t outdated ideas—they’re the heart of a great kindergarten classroom.
So take a trip back to 1975 with me and I’ll share some of the best things about MY kindergarten experience–and why they still deserve a place in today’s classrooms.
We had time to breathe.
We weren’t always in a rush. These days, I feel like we’re constantly in a hurry. We’re given schedules that are completely unrealistic–that leave no time for transitions, real conversation, relationship building, exploration, or reflection. We have to cram as much academic learning into the day as we possibly can. I absolutely LOATHE the concept of “bell to bell”. I am determined to slow things down in my classroom–to take the pressure off both myself and my students.
We made things.
Lots of things. Paintings, collages. construction paper masterpieces, paper mache, sewing cards, weaving… They weren’t “craftivities” that all turned out exactly the same. They were creative and open-ended. And guess what? Fine motor skills developed naturally because we were constantly creating.
We read so many great books.
Rich, engaging storybooks that taught new vocabulary, empathy, curiosity and imagination. For the past several years, I feel like I’ve been so busy reading the required books from my curriculum, we’ve lost the JOY of reading “just because.” I am determined to bring that back this year.
We memorized poems, songs, and fingerplays.
Without YouTube. We learned counting, rhyming, vocabulary, sequencing, and rhythm. Listen–I love Danny Go and Jack Hartmann, and I’m not giving them up. But even today, kids LOVE The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Five Little Monkeys and Little Bunny Foo Foo. More importantly, they love the interaction with their teacher. WE get to be the stars.
We weren’t constantly entertained.
The activities weren’t flashy. The toys didn’t beep and buzz. We didn’t have tablets or interactive whiteboards. Children naturally create wonder when given simple materials and enough time. It’s OK to let them be bored…they’ll come up with their own ideas if we let them.
We PLAYED! Every day.
I’m not talking about math games and literacy centers (which are important). I’m talking about independent, self-directed, imaginative PLAY. Dramatic play, dress-up, puppets, arts and crafts, building, etc. Even today, play is a crucial part of kindergarten. This is where we teach social skills like cooperation and sharing, language development and self-regulation. These skills cannot be taught in a 15-minute SEL lesson! They need to be taught in context, in the moment!
This isn’t about going backwards. It’s about remembering what worked. It’s about acknowledging the things we’re getting wrong today (the rushing, the pressure, the obsession with “rigor”. ) I want my students to learn to read and write. I want them to know their math facts fluently within 5. But, most importantly, I want them to love school. And that is the most important lesson of all!
