Nurturing Learning Through Inquiry and Play in a Public School Kindergarten Serving a Low-Income, Immigrant Community

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 7
  In Roundtable Session: Insights and Discovery in Preservice and In-Service Growth With Diverse Populations

Abstract

This session presents findings from a qualitative study of how culturally and socially/emotionally-responsive, play-based, experiential learning activities nurture the development of 21st century skills and dispositions in a public-school kindergarten classroom serving children and families from immigrant and low-income backgrounds. The teacher featured in this study was recommended to participate by teacher educators and other educational leaders as representing developmentally-appropriate practices that offer a counter-narrative to the pedagogy of “push-down academics” currently dominating many early childhood public school classrooms. Study findings detail how this teacher creates a joyful learning environment that nurtures the kind of critical/creative thinking, perspective sharing, and social/emotional competencies needed to sustain an equitable and just democracy.

Author

• Beverly Falk, City College of New York - CUNY