America Playworker Training: Putting Our Most Vulnerable Urban Children At Risk?

INTRODUCTION: Since mosthighqualityearlychildhoodeducational settings inthe United States use play-based programming,thereisstrong demand for welltrainedstaff in these programs—especially in urban settingswhere positionsmay be harder to fill.Thispapersummarizestheauthor’s research into thequality and quantity of training programs for suchplayworkers and examines theimplications of the findings.METHODS: The research involves reaching out to key facultymembers across theUnited States to learn about the theoretical underpinnings of and how-to methodsused by training programs offered at two-year,four-year,and five-year colleges anduniversities. Steps include: (1) compiling an e-mail list of 30 to 50 leading educatorsof playworkers; (2) sending an e-mail questionnairetothose people asking for informationabout their training programs and the trends they see; (3) selecting a group ofeight to ten of the respondents and conductingin-depthtelephone interviews of them.The results are compiled into a report that summarizes the trends and identifies strengthsand weaknesses in the current system.RESULTS: Compilation of results is still in process, but preliminary indications arethat most training of front-line workers about playhappens at the community college(associates) level and features hands-on, gimmicky typesof how-to ideas for promotingplay. The more in-depth reflective thinking about play that requires knowledge ofpedagogical theory largely is not expected of students being trained.CONCLUSION: The often questionable quality of playworkertraining may be puttingsome of our most vulnerable urban children at risk of asecond-rate education becausetheir teachers may not be equipped to use play to scaffold learning experiencesfor them. The paper offers suggestions for increasing thequality of playworkertraining.