Dive Brief:

• Tired of the "test-ready" expectations being assigned to the nation's youngest learners, Laurie Levy, founder and executive director of Cherry Preschool, has created a list of 10 ways schools can infuse fun and creativity into kindergarten classrooms.  
• Among her suggestions: Employ those with patience for developing skills, expect squirrelly behavior, understand that not all students are developmentally ready to test, and ensure time for just fun.  
• In Levy's eyes, we miss the opportunity to create "lifelong learners" and students excited about school when we start their formal education experience with such a strong emphasis on assessments.  

Dive Insight:

Levy also suggests that schools allow kindergartners to color outside of the lines, encourage the hiring of teachers with child development training, recognize that academics aren't the hardest parts of what kids must learn in kindergarten, keep the developmental and social/emotional needs of 5-year-olds in mind when creating curriculum, involve parents, and be especially sensitive to children who may be chronologically young or has special needs. Ultimately, kindergarten, while important for putting in place the foundation for success in core subjects like reading and mathematics, is also extremely important for helping children develop social skills and acclimating them to an environment away from home.