education articles · NCLB · new literacy · writing

Op-Ed

Stacey Shubitz

The New York Times published an Op-Ed, “Playing to Learn,” today by Susan Engel, who is a senior lecturer in psychology and the director of the Williams College Teaching Program.  It’s about education reform, specifically curriculum reform.  Engel spent one full paragraph on the type of writing that she things should exist in elementary school classrooms.  She said:

Children would also spend an hour a day writing things that have actual meaning to them — stories, newspaper articles, captions for cartoons, letters to one another. People write best when they use writing to think and to communicate, rather than to get a good grade.

Click here to read Engel’s piece and then share your thoughts.  Why, or why don’t, you agree with her thinking about curriculum reform?

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Published by Stacey Shubitz

Stacey Shubitz is a K-6 literacy consultant and former elementary teacher. She is the author of CRAFT MOVES and other professional books on writing workshop. Her new book, MAKE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WORK FOR YOUR CHILD WITH DISABILITIES (Guilford Press, 2026), empowers parents to navigate the special education system.

4 thoughts on “Op-Ed”

  2. Stacey thanks for that. For all of the griping I do around testing time I realize that I am truly lucky because I work in a school that does value these things.

    I was especially taken by the part where she talks about the value of play. I flashed to a science experiment that could have taken 2 days If I’d planned it for the students. But instead I let it take 4 days and I built in time for them to play, create their own hypotheses, test them, and share with the group. I see the impact on my student’s achievement in their presentations and their scientific knowledge.

    As for the parents Juliann, I frequently remind them that I am a dedicated educated professional and that school doesn’t look like it did when we went. 99% of them respect that and are thankful for the type of education that their children get.

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  3. I do agree with this article but I am less optimistic about helping parents see this point of view. As a program director (children ages 3-5) I get so much pushback to play and demand for academics. I imagine it is an even harder sell in the elementary years. But, I am printing and sharing the article – thanks for the link.

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