Tuesday, March 10, 2009
All Work and No Play...
Should your child care be “academic” or the fun place? While a few years ago the statement would’ve sounded absurd, being “academically prepared” for kindergarten is now a new and real parental concern. Kindergartners are now expected to learn what first-graders once learned. Many school administrators and educators have decided kids need to learn more, and earlier, to meet achievement targets set up by programs such as No Child Left Behind. However, many experts believe that children who are subjected to overly academic environments at a young age are less likely to be creative learners and thinkers.
In 1999, Rebecca Marcon, a developmental psychologist and education researcher at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, published a study that looked at 721 4-year-olds selected from three different preschool models: play based, academic (adult directed) and middle of the road (programs that did not follow either philosophy). Marcon followed the children’s language, self-help, social, motor and adaptive development along with basic skills. “What we found in our research then and in ongoing studies is that children who were in a [play-based] preschool program showed stronger academic performance in all subject areas measured compared to children who had been in more academically focused or more middle-of-the-road programs,” says Marcon.
This academic "push" is a troubling trend in early childhood education according to the Science Daily, that published an excellent article which states:
This is an interesting viewpoint in today's society of baby Einstein philosophy where parents try to gain every possible educational advantage for their children at an early age. Yes we need to be concerned about early education, about early literacy, about providing opportunities for learning experiences and then helping the child take advantage of them. BUT, play is an important part of the child's development. There does need to be structure in your childcare. Children need structure and stability. However, children also need the opportunity to be creative and intellectually curious. Unstructured play provides that for them.
Perhaps the best viewpoint is that early education is important, but at the preschool age, all learning should be fun! Learning activities should be intentional and planned, but fun and engaging for kids. Adults should be intentional about the teaching, but it should be embedded in everyday life and fun activities. So how about it? Can you be a good teacher and still make learning fun for the children in your care?
Remember that being ready for kindergarten is important, but all work and no play CAN make Jack a dull boy...
Should your child care be “academic” or the fun place? While a few years ago the statement would’ve sounded absurd, being “academically prepared” for kindergarten is now a new and real parental concern. Kindergartners are now expected to learn what first-graders once learned. Many school administrators and educators have decided kids need to learn more, and earlier, to meet achievement targets set up by programs such as No Child Left Behind. However, many experts believe that children who are subjected to overly academic environments at a young age are less likely to be creative learners and thinkers.
In 1999, Rebecca Marcon, a developmental psychologist and education researcher at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, published a study that looked at 721 4-year-olds selected from three different preschool models: play based, academic (adult directed) and middle of the road (programs that did not follow either philosophy). Marcon followed the children’s language, self-help, social, motor and adaptive development along with basic skills. “What we found in our research then and in ongoing studies is that children who were in a [play-based] preschool program showed stronger academic performance in all subject areas measured compared to children who had been in more academically focused or more middle-of-the-road programs,” says Marcon.
This academic "push" is a troubling trend in early childhood education according to the Science Daily, that published an excellent article which states:
Parents and educators who favor traditional classroom-style learning over free,
unstructured playtime in preschool and kindergarten may actually be stunting a
child’s development instead of enhancing it... Children learn the way we all
learn: through engagement, and through construction. They have to make sense of
the world, and that’s what play or any other symbolic activity does for
children...
This is an interesting viewpoint in today's society of baby Einstein philosophy where parents try to gain every possible educational advantage for their children at an early age. Yes we need to be concerned about early education, about early literacy, about providing opportunities for learning experiences and then helping the child take advantage of them. BUT, play is an important part of the child's development. There does need to be structure in your childcare. Children need structure and stability. However, children also need the opportunity to be creative and intellectually curious. Unstructured play provides that for them.
Perhaps the best viewpoint is that early education is important, but at the preschool age, all learning should be fun! Learning activities should be intentional and planned, but fun and engaging for kids. Adults should be intentional about the teaching, but it should be embedded in everyday life and fun activities. So how about it? Can you be a good teacher and still make learning fun for the children in your care?
Remember that being ready for kindergarten is important, but all work and no play CAN make Jack a dull boy...
// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 6:41 AM 
