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Regaining the Lost Language of Play
March 4, 2022
We carried banners that said, 'We want time to play.' 'We want more schools and less hospitals.'
-Mother Jones (1837-1930), Activist
-Mother Jones (1837-1930), Activist
"How can we help families to understand that school readiness means more than knowing letters and numbers? How can we support intellectual engagement as school readiness? I believe that it all starts with relationships," writes Alissa Mwenelupembe in "Talking about Play with Parents," the article at the heart of the latest Exchange Reflections discussion guide. Mwenelupembe offers a range of tips for teachers and directors to help gain parents' trust in linking play-based learning with intellectual development:
• Be present and available
• Respect families
• Connect with families on their dreams for their children
• Offer exemplary customer service
This may seem like a lot of build-up to talk about learning through play, but as Laurel Bongiorno notes in a 2018 article in Teaching Young Children, "Parents rarely question the role of play in their infants’ and toddlers’ learning. But as young children enter preschool, a shift takes place. Parents seem to start doubting the learning aspects of play. They look instead to “academics”—direct instruction, workbooks, and children sitting still in the classroom."
Mwenelupembe reminds us, "Play is the language of children. Unfortunately, through time and experiences, adults have lost this language. When we, as early childhood professionals, can reconnect families with this lost language we are giving them a gift." How might you start a conversation with parents about their dreams for their children or otherwise help them reconnect with the 'lost language' of play? Share your thoughts!
• Be present and available
• Respect families
• Connect with families on their dreams for their children
• Offer exemplary customer service
This may seem like a lot of build-up to talk about learning through play, but as Laurel Bongiorno notes in a 2018 article in Teaching Young Children, "Parents rarely question the role of play in their infants’ and toddlers’ learning. But as young children enter preschool, a shift takes place. Parents seem to start doubting the learning aspects of play. They look instead to “academics”—direct instruction, workbooks, and children sitting still in the classroom."
Mwenelupembe reminds us, "Play is the language of children. Unfortunately, through time and experiences, adults have lost this language. When we, as early childhood professionals, can reconnect families with this lost language we are giving them a gift." How might you start a conversation with parents about their dreams for their children or otherwise help them reconnect with the 'lost language' of play? Share your thoughts!
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Comments (2)
Displaying All 2 CommentsEugene, OR, United States
I hadn't thought of this as vilifying parents, but rather as responding to something parents frequently express concerns about. Perhaps that itself comes from the palpable societal push for "preparing kids" for whatever's next and doing it in (easily) "measurable" ways. In that context — a world of standards and marketing promises — we often hear the call for help communicating the value of play as the best foundation for a child's here-and-now and their future. I wonder if Mwenelupembe had more than just parents in mind when she said adults have lost the language of play. I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on related EEDs coming soon...As it says in our name, it's all about the exchange of ideas, reflecting and grappling together. I love it when you dive in and make us all think harder and deeper. Thanks!
University of Phoenix/ Red Rocks Community College
Denver, Colorado, United States
In my experience teaching early childhood students in college classes, the main barriers to play for young children ARE NOT parents, but early childhood standards, program curriculums, and program administrators. This is most pronounced in public school based ECE programs and special education. I am not sure why we like to vilify parents?
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