Less lecture, more play

California’s expansion of Universal Transitional Kindergarten represents far more than a policy change. It reflects a growing understanding that early childhood experiences matter deeply and that the conditions we create for our youngest learners can shape their relationship with school for years to come.

At the heart of this work is “Joyful Disruption,” a transformative approach to educational change that centers healing, equity, and collective liberation through purposeful, community-rooted action (Reed, 2024). Joyful Disruption challenges traditional models of schooling that often prioritize compliance over curiosity and standardization over identity. Instead, it invites us to build learning environments grounded in joy, belonging, and human connection (Reed, 2024).

While Joyful Disruption can be applied across all grade levels, perhaps nowhere is it more important than in early childhood education. Universal TK provides educational leaders with a unique opportunity to rethink what school readiness truly means. Rather than asking how we can prepare children for school, Joyful Disruption invites us to ask two questions:

1. How can schools be ready for our children? 2. What conditions help our children flourish?

This subtle shift changes everything. It moves us beyond narrow definitions of readiness and toward classrooms where play is valued, identities are affirmed, relationships are prioritized, and every child has the opportunity to thrive. Additionally, when we center that question, we begin to see that the strongest TK and preschool programs are not focused solely on preparing children for school. They are focused on creating schools that are ready for all children.

Play is not a break from learning … it is learning One of the greatest lessons early childhood educators teach us is that young children learn through play. In a world increasingly focused on acceleration and achievement, protecting play becomes an act of joyful resistance. Play honors the way children naturally learn and reminds us that curiosity, imagination, wonder, and exploration are not distractions from learning. Moreover, they are the foundation of it.

Play-based learning allows children to develop critical thinking, language, creativity, problem-solving skills, and social competence in ways that worksheets and direct instruction alone cannot accomplish. This spring, I watched a group of our TK students spend nearly 20 minutes investigating a roly-poly they found near the playground. What started as curiosity quickly became a lesson in observation, language development, and collaboration. No worksheet could have created the same level of engagement. It was truly fascinating seeing and hearing these students engage in meaningful play. To an untrained eye, it may simply look like children playing. In reality, those students are engaging in sophisticated learning experiences that support literacy, mathematics, collaboration, communication, and executive functioning (Hirsh-Pasek et al., 2022).

Educational leaders play a critical role in protecting and promoting these opportunities. This means ensuring classrooms are equipped with rich materials, supporting teachers in designing inquiry-based and Universal Design for Learning experiences, and helping families understand the tremendous value of play in early learning. When we honor children’s natural curiosity, we send a powerful message: Learning can be joyful. Sometimes creating that joy requires disrupting the factory-model assumptions that have shaped schooling for generations.

It takes a village: Families as partners in learning In education, we often say that it takes a village to raise a child. Universal TK reminds us that this village includes educators, families, support staff, and community partners working together to nurture the whole child. The success of Universal TK depends not only on what happens inside classrooms but also on how effectively schools partner with families. For many families, enrolling a child in TK or preschool is their first interaction with the public education system. Those early experiences often shape their relationship with schools for years to come.

Joyful Disruption reminds us that educational transformation is communal work. Families are not simply recipients of services. They are partners, knowledge holders, advocates, and co-creators of learning communities. Campus leadership can strengthen enrollment and meet families’ needs by intentionally removing barriers to access. This begins with clear communication, welcoming enrollment processes, and opportunities for families to build relationships before the first day of school.

Essentially, when you think about it, educational leaders are DJs of the campus. They have the power to create the vibe of the dance floor or campus. I ask you, as the reader: What is the playlist of your campus that pulls families to the center of the dance floor? Family engagement events, campus tours, kindergarten readiness nights, and community celebrations help families feel connected and informed. Equally important is ensuring communication is accessible in families’ home languages and reflects the diverse cultural backgrounds represented within the community.

When families walk onto campus, they should experience the same feeling we hope every child experiences each day: “I belong here. I am valued here. I am part of this community.”

Schools can become trusted communal spaces rather than simply places where children attend classes when we listen carefully and respond thoughtfully to family needs to support all students.

Behavior as communication: Disruption as healing One of the most common questions educators ask about early childhood programs involves behavior. How do we help young children learn expectations, regulate emotions, and navigate conflict?

The answer begins with a shift in mindset.

Instead of asking, “How do we manage behavior?” we should ask, “What skills are our children still learning?”

Through a Joyful Disruption lens, behavior is viewed as communication rather than defiance. Instead of asking what is wrong with a child, educators ask what happened, what the child needs, and how adults can respond in ways that promote healing and growth.

Young children are simultaneously developing self-regulation, emotional awareness, impulse control, and communication skills. Challenging behavior is often evidence of skills still under construction rather than intentional misconduct. Effective early childhood programs prioritize social-emotional learning as a core component of the curriculum. Teachers explicitly teach and model for students how to recognize emotions, solve problems collaboratively, express needs appropriately, and heal relationships after conflict.

Leadership must ensure our systems align with developmental science for our students. This means moving away from punitive approaches and toward restorative, instructional practices that help children learn from mistakes. The goal is not perfect behavior. The goal is helping children develop the skills necessary to thrive in community. Moreover, it is important to note that punishment hurts while discipline is used to shift behavior through reflection and relational trust.

Identity matters: Supporting every learner Supporting our youngest learners begins with recognizing a simple truth: Identity matters. Children learn best when they see themselves reflected, valued, and celebrated within the classroom community. Identity-conscious classrooms intentionally affirm culture, language, ability, and lived experience as assets rather than deficits (Bishop, R. S., 1990).

Universal TK has expanded opportunities for students who have historically faced barriers to educational success, including multilingual learners, students with disabilities, and children from underserved communities. These students do not need remediation before belonging. They need environments intentionally designed with belonging in mind from the very beginning. Research consistently demonstrates that inclusive practices benefit all learners. When children with diverse abilities learn alongside one another, everyone gains opportunities to develop empathy, collaboration, and a deeper appreciation for human differences.

For multilingual learners, language should be viewed as an asset rather than a challenge to overcome. Young children arrive at school carrying linguistic and cultural knowledge that enriches classroom communities. Effective programs create opportunities for students to use and develop their home languages while simultaneously acquiring English. Identity-conscious classrooms suggest that belonging is not accidental. It is intentionally designed through the messages students receive about who they are and whether they matter.

When children see themselves reflected in books, classroom materials, family engagement activities, and daily interactions, they begin to understand something powerful — my identity is valued here. That understanding can shape a child’s educational experience for years to come.

Supporting the adults who support children No early childhood initiative can succeed without investing in educators. TK and preschool teachers carry tremendous responsibility. They create learning environments that balance developmental appropriateness, academic foundations, social-emotional learning, family engagement, and inclusion while responding to the unique needs of young children. Educational leaders must ensure these educators receive the support they deserve. This begins with recognizing early childhood education as a specialized field requiring deep expertise. Professional learning should be tailored to the developmental needs of young learners rather than simply adapted from upper-grade practices.

Leaders can support educators through coaching, collaborative planning opportunities, peer observation structures, and protected time for reflection. Creating professional communities where teachers can share ideas, solve challenges together, and celebrate successes contributes significantly to both educator effectiveness and retention. Too often, conversations about education focus exclusively on outcomes, accountability, and improvement efforts. While these conversations matter, they must be balanced with opportunities to celebrate the meaningful work happening every day. When educators feel valued, connected, and supported, they are better positioned to create those same experiences for students.

A different vision of readiness Joyful Disruption begins long before students encounter state assessments, report cards, or graduation requirements. It begins when a child walks into a classroom and feels welcomed. It begins when a teacher honors a student’s language, culture, and identity. It begins when play is protected, relationships are prioritized, and healing is valued alongside academic growth. California’s investment in Universal Transitional Kindergarten offers us an opportunity to do more than expand access to early education. It offers us an opportunity to reimagine what early learning can be.

Through a Joyful Disruption lens, readiness is not measured solely by academic benchmarks. It is reflected in a child’s sense of belonging, confidence, curiosity, and connection to community. If we are willing to embrace Joyful Disruption from the very beginning, we can create schools where children do not simply become ready for learning. They become confident in who they are, connected to those around them, and empowered to imagine who they might become. And perhaps that is the most important head start we can give any child.

Marvin Reed, Ed.D., is an assistant principal in Dublin Unified School District.