Play vs. Skill Development: Does it Have to Be One or the Other?

03/07/2023

Play vs. Skill Development: Does it Have to Be One or the Other?

The way we really make our skills permanent and enriched and highly developed, is often through our play experiences.
Doris Bergen, professor at Miami University’s Department of Educational Psychology

"Teachers feel caught in an either/or choice between play and skill-building, and they can become immobilized," write Lisa Porter Kuh and Iris Chin Ponte in their book, Complementary Curriculum Approach: Transform Your Practice Through Intentional Teaching. Disputing the need to pit play against skill development, Porter Kuh and Chin Ponte offer ways educators can develop a "play AND skills" approach in what they call a "settled classroom."

They explain, "A settled classroom is one where children are free to choose materials and experiences that interest and delight them, have the time and space to concentrate on meaningful, interesting activities, and work and play joyfully as part of a community of learners. The adults in a settled classroom are equally delighted as they thoughtfully guide children in their pursuits, following children’s interests to deepen learning." Porter Kuh and Chin Ponte encourage early educators to ground their practice in "respect for the child’s intellect and a commitment to every child’s right to rich experiences."

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