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Protecting Learning Through Play
April 27, 2017
“Children (like poets, writers, musicians, scientists) are fervent seekers and builders of images.”
-Loris Malaguzzi
-Loris Malaguzzi
"Research has found that early didactic instruction might actually worsen academic performance," states David Kohn in his New York Times article, "Let the Kids Learn Through Play." He goes on to say that, "Rebecca A. Marcon, a psychology professor at the University of North Florida, studied 343 children who had attended a preschool class that was 'academically oriented,' one that encouraged 'child initiated' learning, or one in between.
"She looked at the students' performance several years later, in third and fourth grade, and found that by the end of the fourth grade those who had received more didactic instruction earned significantly lower grades than those who had been allowed more opportunities to learn through play. Children's progress 'may have been slowed by overly academic preschool experiences that introduced formalized learning experiences too early for most children’s developmental status,' Dr. Marcon wrote.
"Nevertheless, many educators want to curtail play during school. 'Play is often perceived as immature behavior that doesn’t achieve anything,' says David Whitebread, a psychologist at Cambridge University who has studied the topic for decades. 'But it's essential to their development. They need to learn to persevere, to control attention, to control emotions. Kids learn these things through playing.'"
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These three books help build a strong understanding of the crucial role of play in children’s learning and lives: |
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Lisa Murphy on Play: |
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To support you in supporting your staff or students, Enter code "Play" when prompted |
Offer ends April 28, 2017 at 11:59 pm PST. |
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Comments (2)
Displaying All 2 CommentsPennsylvania, United States
I think the word 'play' makes people think that the children are just mindlessly busy. Child's play can be children chasing children, toy characters used in an story, coloring and creating, acting out roles --the children in my class like to be the teacher selecting children to give the weather report--or they are moms-dads-sister-puppies.... All of these opportunities and play narratives are created by the children. Yesterday, one of the boys in my class (a traditional preschool not a daycare) entered the room, went straight for the chalkboard and wrote the numbers 1 through 12. A teacher joined him to talk about what he was doing and she made numbers with him as well---this was his play. That same boy later joined one of the girls to build a tower with linking blocks and they laughed loudly together as they tried to balance a character on their tower. Again, it's their play--but the social learning not to mention all of the other good stuff that comes from building was just naturally a part of their play. Play does not exclude learning---play is learning. It is not one or the other---play brings it all. There are times in the day when the children are directed or need to listen to the teacher (or a classmate), changing rooms, getting snack, reading a story --where they must follow the teacher but the majority of the time is devoted to their ideas--which are more brilliant than any packaged curriculum I assure you. What really seems to be lacking is enough teachers to engage with the children---but it is a business and not a profitable one if you have to pay more teachers--that's a whole other issue. Teachers need to join in the play, they need to converse with the children naturally not teach at them---share with the children, explore with the children, help them understand their emotions and those of others. Early childhood is care, conversation and play--plain and simple.
Self
Mochudi, Kgatleng, Botswana
Dear readers,
Play is very crual to child development and works wonders in the late years of a child if parents, teachers and or guardians encourage it. It makes the child feel good about it especially when pared with incentives. Children love to play and it cleans their cognitive and emotional stressors.
The only challenge I have discovered in my experience with child play is that most teachers dont really know how to add play to their day to day activities with children. Maybe due to training background....
Thanks
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