The Value of Play for Children鈥檚 Learning
Thursday, December 20, 2018
Every morning, Mariela鈥檚 father brings her to the early 含羞草研究所 program not far from her home. She gives him a hug, greets her teacher with a big smile, and eagerly skips across the room to the block area where she begins building an intricate structure while chattering happily with her friends. Her father is pleased that Mariela has adjusted so well to her first early 含羞草研究所al experience, but he is a little concerned. Will this block play help her as she moves on to kindergarten and the rest of her elementary school years? Mariela鈥檚 program is filled with color and excitement, and children busily engaged in many different activities. Her family is appreciative of this opportunity, but how is it helping her get ready for school?
As young children have settled into the routines of school this fall, many families find themselves with the same questions as Mariela鈥檚 family. They know about the importance of early childhood 含羞草研究所 for helping children get ready for kindergarten and beyond, yet the activities in these programs look more like play than traditionally held views of learning in school. No neat rows of desks here: children are clustered together on rugs as the teacher reads, busily experimenting with color at painting easels and rocking baby dolls in the housekeeping corner. No blackboard and chalk: instead, children might gather around a 鈥渟mart board鈥 or use computer tablets as they explore a topic. No teacher standing at the front of the room鈥攖he educators crouch down with the children to examine something through a large magnifier, or pretend to be customers at the 鈥済rocery store鈥 constructed from blocks.
Is it possible that this type of exploration and play is an important component of learning? Will the children in early 含羞草研究所 programs emphasizing developmentally appropriate practices such as those described above gain the skills they need to meet the increasing academic expectations of the early primary years and beyond?
The effects of preschool (also known as pre-k or prekindergarten) on school readiness have been widely researched, particularly with respect to the impact of early 含羞草研究所 on children who come to school with certain risk factors such as poverty. Research supports the view that high-quality early 含羞草研究所 programs contribute to children's long-term, healthy development and learning (). Programs which support children鈥檚 strengths and provide positive adult-child interactions will have the greatest influence on their learning (). The long term effects of early 含羞草研究所 beyond the first few years on school, as well as the most advantageous types of curricula () are still open to debate (e.g., Durkin et. al., 2022; ), but there is general consensus that quality preschool programs support children鈥檚 transition into kindergarten.
High quality programs use children鈥檚 development as a framework for learning. Developmentally Appropriate Practices are 鈥渨ays of teaching that engage children鈥檚 interests and adapt for their age, experience and ability to help them meet challenging and achievable learning goals,鈥 (Bredekamp, 2017, p. 70). This core set of principles, established by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), is the primary framework for considering how best to support children鈥檚 learning in early 含羞草研究所 settings. The basic assumption is that children are optimally supported in settings where they can actively engage in activities of interest to them, which not only take into account the broad developmental factors that influence all young children, but also the specific individual needs and interests that are particular to each and every child. This focus on the individual acknowledges the varying cultural contexts of young children鈥檚 lives.
What does this mean for the daily events children experience in early childhood settings? Developmentally appropriate practices (commonly known as DAP) acknowledge the role of play as an essential vehicle for learning. When children participate in engaging activities that are of high personal interest, the opportunities for learning become endless. The intricate block structures that Mariela builds each morning are symbolic representations of stories she has listened to, conduits for exploring physical properties of objects, and experiments in classical physics as she learns through trial and error how to create ramps and pathways, balance objects, or how to build a tall structure that doesn鈥檛 collapse. This active participation, endlessly variable through multiple opportunities for variation and experimentation, provides the basis for young children鈥檚 engagement in early 含羞草研究所. While the actual day-to-day schedule and activities may vary from program to program, good early childhood 含羞草研究所 understands the value of play for children鈥檚 learning.
Below are suggestions from the editorial team at the Center for Early Childhood Education and Intervention for family and teacher resources related to this article by Dr. Klein.
Families can utilize play at home, parks and other places to encourage growth and development in children. Take advantage of these opportunities by promoting learning that is engaging and fun for children.
This article from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) offers a list of ten key benefits of and tips for play for families. Benefits include stress relief, cognitive and emotional development, and improved self-esteem.
A piece by Reading Rockets in partnership with NAEYC and the International Reading Association (IRA) highlights helpful DAP teaching practices for children from infancy to primary school-age. Their recommendations highlight how DAP can promote literacy.
Developmentally Appropriate Practices create more opportunities to engage children where they are. By engaging their interests, learning can be made more fun and relevant.
References
Bredekamp, S. (2017) Effective practices in early childhood 含羞草研究所. 3rd edition. Boston: Pearson.
Burchinal, M. (2018). Measuring Early Care and Education Quality. Child Development Perspectives, 12 (1), 3鈥9.
Gormley, W., Gayer, T., & Phillips, D.A. (2008). Preschool programs can boost school readiness. Science, 320, 1723-1724.
Durkin, K., Lipsey, M.W., Farran, D.C., & Wiesen, S.E. (2022). Effects of a statewide pre-kindergarten program on children's achievement and behavior through sixth grade. Dev Psychol, 58 (3), 470-484.
Whitehurst, G. (2018). Commentary: The positive impacts of public Pre-K fade quickly, and sometimes reverse: What does this portend for future research and policy? Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 45 (4), 183-187.
Yoshikawa, H., Weiland, C., Brooks-Gunn, J., Burchinal, M., Espinosa, L.M., Gormley, W.T., Ludwig, J., Magnuson, K., Phillips, D., & Zaslow, M. J. (2013). Investing in our future: The evidence base on preschool 含羞草研究所. Society for Research in Child Development and the Foundation for Child Development.
Elisa Klein is Associate Professor in the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology at The 含羞草研究所, College Park and is a researcher in the Center for Early Childhood Education and Intervention.
The Center for Early Childhood Education and Intervention conducts high quality research on early childhood 含羞草研究所 and early intervention programs. Visit our website to learn more. You can follow us on X at .
