NYC Kindergarteners Are Being Diagnosed with Play Deprivation & We Can Change It
Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based Strategies. Classrooms Where Every Child Thrives.
02/23/26
•26m
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Part One of my S5E26 @schoolutionspodcast conversation explores the current state of kindergarten education, questioning what a typical kindergarten day looks like and what it should be. Dr. Beverly Falk and Dr. Nancy Cardwell explore the neuroscience of play, highlighting the impacts of scripted curricula on young learners and emphasizing that play deprivation is a measurable issue that needs to be addressed for healthy child development.
This discussion offers valuable insights for parents and teachers alike, focusing on childhood and mental health in early learning environments.
🧠 What you'll learn in this episode:
💫Why scripted curricula are causing real, measurable harm to young children — and who profits from it
💫What neuroscience reveals about active learning vs. worksheets and skill-and-drill instruction
💫How play deprivation shows up in classrooms as anger, withdrawal, and low engagement
💫What Denmark's forest schools and empathy model can teach us about inclusive classrooms and student success
💫Why "fidelity to the curriculum" must be replaced with fidelity to the learner — a cornerstone of culturally responsive teaching and equity in education
💫What Beverly and Nancy's proposal to NYC's Mayor and education transition team actually recommends
Some episode mentions & resources:
➡️Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University
➡️Lillian Dropkin Weber Papers
➡️Mary Helen Immordino-Yang
➡️Denmark's forest school model
➡️Bank Street Teaching Kindergarten Conference, March 13-14, 2026
Don't miss the continuation of this powerful conversation! In Part 2, where Beverly and Nancy get specific. What are they actually asking for? What does their proposal say, and what can teachers do right now, even inside the constraints of a scripted school day? This is behind-the-scenes work that is giving me, and I hope it gives you, real grounded hope.
📑 Chapters
0:00 — Introduction: What Should Kindergarten Look Like?
2:00 — Meet Dr. Beverly Falk & Dr. Nancy Cardwell
3:00 — Research That Grounds Play-Based Learning
5:00 — What a Typical Kindergarten Day Looks Like NOW (vs. What It Should)
7:30 — The Neuroscience of Play: How the Brain Actually Learns
10:00 — Worksheets vs. Hands-On Learning: The Real Data
11:30 — 95% of Brain Architecture Built by Age 5
13:00 — Fidelity to Children vs. Fidelity to Curriculum
14:00 — The Cost of Scripted Curricula — Literally
16:30 — Denmark's Empathy & Forest School Model
20:30 — What NYC Schools Could Borrow Tomorrow
22:00 — Lightning Round: Honest Takes on Early Childhood Today
25:00 — What Gives Beverly & Nancy Hope Right Now
25:45 — Preview of Part 2: The Proposal for NYC's Mayor
🎧 New episodes every Monday & Friday with bite-sized Wednesday reel bonus content.
📧 Connect: schoolutionspodcast@gmail.com
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
Previous Episode
The Brain State Hierarchy Every Teacher Must Understand
February 20
•18m
Welcome back to Part Two of my S5E25 @schoolutionspodcast conversation with Dr. Courtney Bishop. Courtney shares a collaborative approach during an IEP special education meeting. This video offers essential IEP tips for parents and special education advocates to effectively support children with special needs.
What You'll Discover:
✅ How to prepare for your first IEP meeting with confidence
✅ The mindset shift that changes everything for educators AND parents
✅ What data to track and how to notice patterns
✅ The brain states framework every adult needs to understand
✅ Professional development that actually transforms practice
✅ How to give yourself grace in the journey
This episode reveals the neuroscience behind regulation and executive functioning, showing why adults must regulate FIRST before children can learn. Perfect for parents, teachers, instructional coaches, school counselors, mentor teachers, new teachers, school administrators, and anyone committed to student success, family partnerships, and home-school connection.
🧠 Essential Framework: Conscious Discipline Brain States
🎯 Focus: IEP advocacy, data collection, caregiver-educator partnerships
💫Check out Part One
Chapters
0:00 Introduction - Your IEP Advocacy Toolkit
1:00 Welcome Back - Part Two with Dr. Courtney Bishop
2:00 First IEP Meeting - What Every Caregiver Should Know
3:00 Assuming Best Intent on All Sides
4:00 Communicating Your Child's Needs Effectively
6:00 Notice and Name - Sharing Observable Behaviors
7:00 Building Team Child - Transparent Communication
8:00 What Data Should Caregivers Track?
9:00 Tracking Patterns and Regulation Tipping Points
10:00 Essential PD - Understanding Brain States
11:00 The Brain State Hierarchy Explained
12:00 Connection Before Correction - The Key to Learning
13:00 Parting Words - Grace for Neurodivergent Journeys
15:00 Celebrating Neurodivergent Strengths
16:00 Next Week - Play Deprivation Crisis in NYC Schools
17:00 Closing - Choose Connection Over Compliance
Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child.
🎧 New episodes every Monday & Friday with bite-sized Wednesday reel bonus content.
📧 Connect: schoolutionspodcast@gmail.com
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
Don't forget to🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators! h
Next Week: Dr. Beverly Falk and Dr. Nancy Cardwell from CCNY reveal a shocking trend: NYC pediatricians are now diagnosing kindergarteners with play deprivation-induced anxiety and depression. These veteran educators expose how scripted curricula are creating a public health crisis and share their six-point proposal they're bringing to Mayor Mamdani to save early childhood education.
#schoolutions #schoolutionspodcast #schoolutionsteachingstrategies #forevergettingbetter #IEPAdvocacy #NeurodivergenteSupport #ParentPartnership #InclusiveEducation #SpecialEducation #TeacherTraining #SchoolLeadership #FamilyEngagement #BrainScience #StudentSuccess #ProfessionalDevelopment #InstructionalCoaching #HomeSchoolConnection #CulturallyResponsiveTeaching #WholeChild #EmpoweredEducators #EducationTransformation #ProKidMindset #IEP #specialeducation #neurodivergent #parentadvocacy #teachers #inclusiveeducation #ADHD #autism
When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
Next Episode
Who Gets to Play at Your School?
February 25
•0m
This reel explores how budgets are truly narratives, reflecting what is valued and who is considered valuable. Understanding the principles of budgeting and personal finance can illuminate societal priorities. What does a school budget say about what we truly value? In this powerful reel, we explore how budgets aren't just numbers; they're narratives that reveal who we believe deserves opportunity, joy, and time to grow.
We dive deep into the role of play in education, asking a question that cuts to the heart of equity: Who gets to play? For children of wealthy families, play is assumed. For children in under-resourced communities, it's often treated as a luxury they can't afford. But what if that assumption is exactly what's holding our students back?
Looking at models like Denmark's approach to whole child development, we unpack the difference between acquiring knowledge and developing understanding and why that distinction matters for student success, classroom belonging, and truly inclusive classrooms.
Whether you're focused on instructional leadership, culturally responsive teaching, or simply trying to create a classroom where every child feels seen and valued, this episode will challenge you to rethink what school is really for.
🎯 Perfect for teachers, school administrators, instructional coaches, teacher mentors, school counselors, parents, homeschoolers, and anyone passionate about education transformation.
💡 Topics covered include: classroom belonging, student motivation, whole child development, equity in education, inclusive teaching, pro-kid mindset, school culture, and effective teaching strategies.
📌 If you believe in thriving students and empowered educators, subscribe and join our community of inspired teaching professionals working toward real school change.
🚀📚 Watch Part One & Part Two of our S5E26 interview.
Chapters
0:00 – Introduction: Budgets as Stories of Value
0:45 – Who Gets to Play? The Equity Question
1:30 – Play for Wealthy vs. Under-Resourced Students
2:15 – The Denmark Model: Educating the Whole Child
3:00 – Knowledge Acquisition vs. Developing Understanding
3:45 – What This Means for Classroom Belonging & Student Success
4:30 – Reimagining School Culture for Every Child
When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
📧 Connect: schoolutionspodcast@gmail.com
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
Don't forget to🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators!
#schoolutions #schoolutionspodcast #forevergettingbetter #EquityInEducation #WholeChild #ClassroomBelonging #StudentSuccess #InclusiveTeaching #CulturallyResponsiveTeaching #EffectiveTeaching #ProKidMindset #SchoolCulture #EducationTransformation #TeacherCoaching #InstructionalLeadership #EmpoweredEducators #StudentEngagement #ActiveLearning #SchoolLeadership #TeachingTips #InspiredTeaching #NewTeachers #schoolimprovement
When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
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