![]() Play is not an obstruction to academic learning, nor is it lazy teaching. Intentionally structuring a play-based learning opportunity to encourage creative play as well as include materials that emphasize a developmentally appropriate learning standard is certainly a high-leverage practice.” Purposeful play Not only does this play-based learning center address language arts standards, but it also touches upon speaking and listening standards as well. Paper and pencils/crayons/markers, etc., can be used to write recipes, make lists, and create advertisements for a new restaurant. “For example, a kitchen/cooking center could contain a water table as well as measuring cups, dishes and ‘pretend’ food. “Many people, including some educators, believe that we need to choose between play-based learning opportunities and rigorous academic standards when integrating the two is very possible,” says adjunct professor, Angie Stratton, M.A.Ed. The assumption that play is a frivolous use of classroom time and in opposition to rigorous instruction demeans its value and its vast potential. ![]() And, it is how children learn how to negotiate with peers, problem-solve, and improvise.” ![]() Play is the earliest form of storytelling. And it is where children first learn and express symbolic thought, a necessary precursor to literacy. They reenact experiences to solidify understanding. “It is in the context of play that children test out new knowledge and theories. Their intellectual, physical, and social-emotional abilities emerge and are strengthened through play,” says Katie Chiavarone, blogger and author of The Undeniable Power of Play: 101 Tips, Activities and Play-Based Learning Strategies to Engage Your Child. “Not only is it an incredible source of fun and socialization, but play is also crucial to children’s learning and development. ![]() “When you are engaging in play, which in and of itself is a symbolic metaphor in its truest form, whole parts of your brain are engaged, developing crucial connections that lead to a positive development of the child,” says Clair Mellenthin, author of Play Therapy: Engaging & Powerful Techniques for the Treatment of Childhood Disorders.īeyond stimulating young minds to be receptive to learning, play is a necessary component of brain development for children. This means that children learn well when they are mentally active, engaged, social, and can make meaningful connections to their lives, which are all characteristics of play.Īnother study found that “in addition to improving play skills and narrative language ability,” a play-based curriculum also had “a positive influence on the acquisition of grammar.” Neuroscientists have found that play activates the brain in meaningful ways that rote memorization, testing, worksheets, and traditional classroom techniques do not. Individuals take an active role in the learning environment.Kathryn Hirsh-Pasek, a well-known child development expert in the Department of Psychology at Temple University and a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, argues that humans learn best when at least one of these four pillars are present: A great deal of research has concluded that play-based learning is genuinely and positively impactful on student learning and development.
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