This digest examines the value of outdoor experience for young children, reasons for its decline, ways to enhance school play spaces, and aspects of developmentally appropriate outdoor environments. Young children appear to benefit from being outdoors and especially need the broad experiential base provided by being outdoors. The richness and…

Changes in American society and education over the last 20 years have contributed to the popularity of all-day, every-day kindergarten programs. Full-day kindergarten is popular for a number of reasons. Full-day programs eliminate the need to provide buses and crossing guards at mid-day. In high-poverty schools, state and federal funding for…

In nongraded education, children of different ages and ability levels are taught together and make continuous progress rather than being promoted once per year. Research studies support nongraded primary education by indicating that young children vary in their rates of intellectual development and learn best through hands-on activities with…