The organization of day-care environments: required versus optional activities.
Required schedules work just as well as free choice when toys are abundant and kids can move on at their own pace.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team ran two preschool schedules. One was required: every child moved through centers in order. The other was optional: kids picked where to play.
Both rooms had lots of toys. Children could finish early and go to the next spot. The researchers counted how much time kids spent on task.
What they found
Required and optional schedules gave the same high participation. Kids stayed busy when materials were stocked and they could move on when ready.
Free choice was not needed to keep them engaged.
How this fits with other research
Kim et al. (2025) later showed choice is not always best. Their review says you should size, time, and deliver choices to fit each child’s history.
Two studies seem to clash. Boudreau et al. (2015) and Fahmie et al. (2013) found free-play lowers well-being and raises aggression in preschoolers with coordination delays. The 1972 study looked at neurotypical kids, so the groups differ.
Hawkins (1982) extended the idea to autistic-like children. Prompt plus praise worked better than free choice alone, matching the 1972 finding that adult structure can replace choice.
Why it matters
You can drop free-choice centers if you give plenty of materials and let kids advance when finished. This keeps sessions tight and still fun. Try it during circle-time rotations or play-based therapy when materials are rich and transitions are quick.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Measures of group participation were used in an experimental analysis of the effects of two preschool activity schedules. Children's participation in preschool activities remained as high when children were allowed no options but were required to follow a schedule of activities in sequence, as when they were free to choose between several optional activities. However, this was only true: (1) when a child was not forced to wait until all other children had finished, but could start the next required activity individually as soon as he had finished the preceding one, and (2) when there was an abundance of materials in each required activity. When there were not adequate materials in each activity, children's participation was disrupted unless they were free to choose among several optional activities. Thus, in order to maintain high levels of participation in preschool play activities, it is not necessary to allow children to choose among several alternative activities. High participation may be more efficiently maintained by providing a supply of materials that is adequate to occupy all children in each of a sequence of required activities and staffing by at least two teachers, so that while one teacher is supervising children still finishing one activity another teacher can supervise children who are ready to start the next.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 1972 · doi:10.1901/jaba.1972.5-405