Fyffe, Lisa Ann, authorDavies, Patricia, advisorSchmid, Arlene, advisorQuynn, Kristina, committee memberJennings, Louise, committee member2024-05-272026-05-202024https://hdl.handle.net/10217/238497Play has been the foundational pedagogical approach to early childhood education dating back to the days of Plato (428-347 B.C.E..) and Socrates (469-399 B.C.E.). Yet recent changes in public policy emphasizing academic content mastery at kindergarten entry threaten the tradition of play as the dominant means of learning for young children enrolled in early childhood education centers. Early childhood professionals argue that pedagogy emphasizing approaches to learning, social relationships, and self-management are essential in preschool, and prepare children for subsequent academic instruction. Parents, fearful that their child will not be ready for kindergarten if they are not exposed to academics early on, place pressure on privately funded early childhood centers to provide academic rigor under the guise of school readiness. The desire for children to develop learning readiness through playing stands in contrast to educational reforms priorities of standardized instruction and measurable academic results to support efficacy in early childhood education programs. Early childhood educators, in response to public policy and parental expectations, may design their preschool curriculum with an academic emphasis, thus disrupting the tradition of play as the dominant means of learning for young children. For play to retain its' importance in early childhood education, research will need to demonstrate how play prepares children for kindergarten. This dissertation explores how children fared in kindergarten following play-based early childhood education at a Reggio-Emilia-inspired preschool. The Reggio Emilia-inspired philosophy of early childhood education emphasizes artistic expression, child-led exploration, engaging environments and collaborative relationships to promote children's curiosity and joyfulness with learning (McNally & Slutsky, 2018). Play-based learning is a pedagogical approach to early childhood education grounded in guided play, where the adult curates a learning context towards an educational goal and the child maintains agency and some degree of freedom to explore and discover while learning (Zosh et al., 2018). Cross-case analysis was used to gain a deep understanding of the experiences of four children navigating kindergarten during the Covid-19-affected 2020-2021 school year. Data included: a series of three 1-hour interviews with four mothers and three kindergarten teachers at the onset, midpoint and conclusion of the school year, field visits during remote learning, and artifact collection including work samples and progress reports. The most substantial findings from this longitudinal study center on three main constructs: school readiness, everyday adaptability, and kindergarten performance, which are each addressed in the three manuscripts included in the dissertation. Finally, I situate my dissertation within the Occupation and Rehabilitative Science framework and conclude my dissertation by describing the implications of this dissertation of occupational therapy practice and future scholarship.born digitaldoctoral dissertationsengCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.kindergarten transitionplay-based learningschool readinessoccupational therapyearly childhood educationReggio-Emilia philosophyTextEmbargo expires: 05/20/2026.