NYTimes.com | In Kindergarten Playtime, a New Meaning for ‘Play’

By CLARA HEMPHILL

THE word “kindergarten” means “children’s garden,” and for years has conjured up an image of children playing with blocks, splashing at water tables, dressing up in costumes or playing house. Now, with an increased emphasis on academic achievement even in the earliest grades, playtime in kindergarten is giving way to worksheets, math drills and fill-in-the-bubble standardized tests.

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NYTimes.com July 26, 2006