<table width="600" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td><span style="font-family: Arial;font-size:12px;"><b>Roy Boyle</b> (royboyle@gmail.com) thought you might be interested in checking out an excerpt from ASCD SmartBrief. <a href="http://www.smartbrief.com/ascd/index.jsp?campaign=story" style="font-weight:bold;color:#990000;">Sign up for your free subscription today</a>.<br><br></span></td></tr><tr><td><blockquote><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;font-weight:bold;">I saw this article in my ASCD Smartbrief the other day. I thought it might be of interest to everyone.
<br>
<br>
Roy</span></blockquote></td></tr></table><br>
<table width="600" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td><a href="http://www.smartbrief.com/ascd/index.jsp?campaign=story"><img src="http://www.smartbrief.com/images/briefs2/ascd/branding_title.gif" border="0"></a></td><td><img src="http://www.smartbrief.com/images/briefs2/ascd/branding_logo.gif"></td></tr></table><br>
<table width="600" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td valign="top"><a href="http://www.smartbrief.com/ascd/index.jsp?campaign=story"><img src="http://www.smartbrief.com/i/site/mini/ascd_mini.gif" border="0"></a></td><td width="475"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:12;">Designed specifically for professionals in K-12 education, ASCD SmartBrief is a FREE daily e-mail newsletter. It provides the latest education news and information you need to stay on top of issues that are important to you.<br><br><a href="http://www.smartbrief.com/ascd/index.jsp?campaign=story" style="font-weight:bold;color:#990000;">SIGN UP TODAY</a> to receive ASCD SmartBrief.</span></td></tr></table><br>
<div style="border:dotted 1px black;border-right:0;border-left:0;height:2px;width:600px;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px;"> </div><br>
<table width="600" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td valign="top"><img src="http://www.smartbrief.com/images/briefs/common/bullet_main.gif" width="20" height="13"></td><td width="580"><span style="font-family:Georgia, Arial;font-weight:bold;font-size:16;color:#990000;">Educators debate the value of play in early-childhood education</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:12px;">With increasing pressure on early-childhood education programs to promote math and literacy skills, educators are debating the value of play in preschool and early elementary grades. "Play is problem-solving," said one Virginia educator. "It's really critical life skills." While some studies show that students who attended play-based preschool programs develop better socially and emotionally later in life, time for play is increasingly being pushed aside for more instruction aimed at achieving higher test scores. <a style="color:#003399;" href="http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/sSlAcxivbmkoax" target="_BLANK">Washington Post, The</a> (11/21)</span></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"></tr></table><br>