It's "just" child's play

Peggy Liuzzi By Peggy Liuzzi The Post-Standard
on September 30, 2008 at 8:32 PM, updated September 30, 2008 at 9:44 PM

Sometimes I hear parents say "My pre-schooler just seems to be play all day in her program. Shouldn't they be teaching her letters and numbers?" It's a great question. All of us want our young children to learn and to love learning. Many parents worry about whether their pre-schooler will be "ready" for kindergarten. It's important, though, to understand how young children learn best. A growing body of brain research tells us that children learn through hand-on play.

I've heard some early childhood teachers describe play as children's work. What those teachers mean is that, as children play, they extend, refine and practice skills and concepts that form the foundation for all later learning. Here are just a few examples:

Children love to play pretend - they use props like kitchen equipment, baby dolls, blocks, dress-up clothes, cardboard boxes and other household objects to create imaginary worlds where they practice rich language, social skills, and decision-making.

Playing with water, sand or snow gives children an opportunity to explore the natural world and understand the physical properties of things - that snow melts, that water splashes, that some things float and others sink, that wet sand is different from dry sand. They experiment with motor skills related to shoveling, pouring and filling containers. They experiment with measurement - that one container holds more than another, that two scoops are more than one, and, with adult help, they learn new words to describe their experiences.

Being outdoors with room to run and jump and spin gives children a chance to use their whole bodies to learn concepts like high and low, over and under, fast and slow, sun and shade, how to take turns, and how to play safely and still have fun.

Young children are naturally curious and interested in learning new things. They'll rehearse and practice a new skill, a new word or drawing a new shape on paper, over and over until they perfect that skill and are ready to learn the next big thing. As adults we can respond to their questions and provide them with materials, encouragement, guidance and lots of language to describe their feelings and their world, and, of course, space and time for open-ended play. Pre-school age children who have opportunities for this kind of hands-on learning will develop the basics they need for later academic success and oh, so many wonderful childhood memories too.


To download a copy of "Kindergarten... Here We Come!", a resource for pre-school parents and caregivers, visit the Child Care Solutions website.