Maddie Tomecek

Professor Grinde

Dev. Psychology

Research Paper

Topic: Effects of common core curriculum on the developing kindergartner

 When I think back to things I learned in kindergarten, I rarely think about the topics I

learned in my classes in terms of subject material. However, I think more about the activities

we did, field trips, art projects, books, and games. Looking back, it is now interesting to

dissect that what was simply “fun” to me back then, actually taught me the most important

life lessons. Creativity is crucial in kindergarten classrooms worldwide. Kindergarten should

be more focused on active learning than material learning. The application of common core

initiatives negatively effects kindergarten classrooms by removing necessary creative aspects

essential for learning, applying too much pressure on young minds, and over preparing them

for their futures.

Common core state standards is an initiative that has been started in school

curriculums nationwide. These standards are used to analyze professional development and

to manage student learning. However, these skills have changed learning to focus more on

real-world applications of topics taught inside of the classroom. The standards state that

teachers must combine these skills into literacy content. These standards are designed to

prepare learners for college. In today’s culture there is a lot of pressure on young children to

succeed and this pressure can drastically effect their development.

Creativity in learning is essential to the child’s development. Students need to know

how to the basics of creative motor skills such as how to properly hold scissors, cut in a

straight line, basic colors, how to draw basic shapes, etc. From there, students can build on

these basics to continue to develop more in depth skills. Language development is a key

factor of childhood and simply talking about art, colors, and shapes can continue making

those connections in a young child’s brain. Children are encouraged to talk to others about
their artwork and to share discoveries with parents. According to a report by American for

the Arts, creativity in learning strengthens critical-thinking skills and problem-solving. For

example, something as simple as choosing what color to paint a bird opens the opportunity to

discuss what other objects are that color, why the child choose that color, and explaining how

they knew to paint it the color they did. Visual-spatial skills, meaning how we transform the

information we gather from pictures or media, are important in a society that is controlled by

our media. Children can strengthen these skills by doing hands on activities such as stringing

beads, or playing with clay.

As stated by Dr. Kerry Freedman, “Children need to know more about the world than

just what they can learn through text and numbers. Art education (teaching through creative

strategies) teaches students how to interpret, criticize, and use visual information, and how to

make choices based on it.” Self-expression is decreasing in our society because we are often

afraid of being ridiculed or hurt by others. When we allow kids to express themselves at a

young age then we better prepare them for the realities they might face as they continue to

age. Creativity also allows students to develop a sense of cultural awareness. Not only do

young children create a deeper appreciation for the arts but they also begin to recognize that

we are all different. When these differences are recognized, children are more susceptible to

be accepting of each person’s uniqueness. Freedman states that, “If a child is playing with a

toy that suggests a racist or sexist meaning, part of that meaning develops because of the

aesthetics of the toy—color, shape, texture of the hair.” Finally, there is evidence that

creativity connects with other achievements. A report by Americans for the Arts states,

“Young people who participate regularly in the arts are four times more likely to be
recognized for academic achievement, to participate in a math and science fair or to win an

award for writing an essay or poem than children who do not participate in art programs.”

This is the frustrating part of common core. Professionals believe that they are setting

students up for success by removing ‘distractions’ and instead putting full focus on reading,

writing, and mathematics. However, in the long run common core is actually setting students

up for failure. If the goal of common core state standards is to prepare students for the real

world and college than it is vital that creativity be included in the curriculum.

Imagination is a part of being a child. According to Candice Mottweiler and Marjorie Taylor,

“Many young children exhibit a striking ability and inclination to invent imaginary characters

and act out fantasy situations” (pg. 277). Educators should play off of these strengths instead

of trying to diminish them. When kids are encouraged to use their imaginations, it produces

not only a sense of stimulation, but it also encourages movement and physical activity in

learning. This type of learning is called kinesthetic learning and it is designed for those who

learn more hands on. Common core discourages and almost diminishes this type of learning

because it is more focused on test scores than improvement of the overall individual.

According to Patti Ghezzi, “Instead of trying to fix kindergarten by focusing on age, let's

bring back the children's garden, a time of exploration and learning through play. Bring back

play kitchens. Build in several recess periods. Make time to sing and dance. Have children

dress up and act out stories. Encourage children who are ready to read to forge ahead, but

don't pressure kids who aren't ready to cross the bridge from nonreader to reader” (pg. 2).

Others may argue that common core state standards are beneficial to students,

especially kindergarteners because they offer teachers and administrators a structured

teaching plan. Common core state standards also allow for a universal plan of education so a

common map of topics being taught is developed. For instance, if a child moves schools, he

or she will be on the same educational track as the other students. However, there is a better

option instead of using common core. In a study completed by Wake and Benson, common

core standards were compared with a professional development curriculum strategy plan. In

this method each Childhood Education Framework it offers a skill that students should be

able to master by the end of the year. For example, framework 3.1 states that students should

be able to understand that print conveys a message. The Professional Development

Curriculum Topics include Mother Goose Rhymes, finger plays, poetry, and songs. However,

the common core standards for literacy only lists Reading: Foundational Skills ( Wake, 238).

The Professional Development Curriculum offers more in depth, active participation ideas

for professionals to use when planning lesson plans.

In a study completed by Cress and Holm entitled “Demystifying the Common Core

in Kindergarten Writing”, they analyzed the various writing strategies that use common core

and those that do not. For example, to support common core they had students write a story

using only words and then they had other students write a story using words and pictures.

Then they analyzed the two for writing quality. The differences in structure of the sentences

changed, and the sentence where the child was told to draw a picture to go along with his or

her writing had better sentence structure than the picture without a drawing (pg. 95-98). This

proves that mixing rigor with creativity is in fact more beneficial to the child because it

allows them to make connections between what they know and what they see.

Overall, the way we look at education has changed. Education used to be based more

on relevance than rigor. When information isn’t forced upon students than they are able to
become engaged more fully. Attitudes of students change from being ‘have to’ learn

something to ‘want to’ learn something. However, we can only engage students in this

manner by making learning enjoyable, especially in a kindergarten classroom where it is

some students first opportunity ever being in a classroom setting. Creativity in kindergarten

classrooms, also promote intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is self-motivation that

does not come from others, it’s a way to reward yourself internally. Creativity promotes this

idea by allowing a child to visualize his or her success in the classroom. For example, if the

child paints a picture or completes an assignment on paper, then they are able to look back

see their hard work on paper. However, we do not see the same levels on motivation when

students are forced to take standardized tests, a major component of common core state

standards (Hennessey, pg. 189).

According to common core state standard number three, education in k-12 classrooms

should, “prepare students for college and career expectations.” However, there are ways to do

this without completely eliminating all forms of play, creativity, and recess. For example, by

putting students in groups to complete an activity, they are learning how to work in groups

and effective teamwork strategies.

In conclusion, common core state standards should not be required in kindergarten

classrooms. At a young age, students should be the taught the basics of being in a classroom.

It is vital that we focus more on teaching kindergartners the basics of creativity, reading,

writing, and math; however, we must do it in a way that will stimulate them as life-long

learners. This means that it is essential that we focus less on rigor and more on quality of

educators. As educators, it is important that we do not focus only on test scores but instead

focus on the learning needs of the whole child.

Works Cited:

“About the Standards.” Common Core State Standards Initiative About the Standards

Comments, www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/.

Cress, Susan W., and Daniel T. Holm. "Demystifying the Common Core in Kindergarten

Writing." Journal of Education and Learning, vol. 6, no. 4, 2017, pp. 92-99, Eric,

http://ezproxy.loras.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-

com.ezproxy.loras.edu/docview/1941340791?accountid=35772.

Ghezzi, Patti. "GUEST COLUMN: Kindergarten: All Work and no Play." The Atlanta Journal -
Constitution, Mar 02, 2015, US Newsstream, http://ezproxy.loras.edu/login?
url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.loras.edu/docview/1659057040?accountid=35772.

Mottweiler, C. M., & Taylor, M. (2014). Elaborated role play and creativity in preschool age

children. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 8(3), 277-286.

doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.loras.edu/10.1037/a0036083

“The Importance of Art in Child Development.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 25 May
 2012, www.pbs.org/parents/education/music-arts/the-importance-of-art-in-child-

development/.

The Kindergarten Curriculum. Bulletin, 1919, no. 16. Bureau of Education,

Department of the Interior, 1919, Eric,http://ezproxy.loras.edu/login?

url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.loras.edu/docview/1347462374?

accountid=35772.

Wake, Donna G., and Tammy R. Benson. "Preschool Literacy and the Common Core: A

Professional Development Model." Journal of Education and Learning, vol. 5, no. 3,

2016, pp. 236-251, Eric, http://ezproxy.loras.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest

com.ezproxy.loras.edu/docview/1826543442?accountid=35772.