The Vital Role of Play in Early Childhood Education Joan Almon Summary� Four main points we will address in this workshop:
Much research links play with brain development, language development, and the growth of imagination, social skills, and the ability to control aggression. Long-term research also compares preschool children who receive “direct instruction” in academic subjects with children from programs emphasizing child-initiated activities, including play. Those in direct instruction were more likely to suffer from learning disorders, more likely to drop out of school, and more likely to commit crimes and end up in jail. The evidence shows that children benefit from play and play-oriented preschool programs, yet early childhood programs are turning away from play and toward direct instruction in academics. In the U.S. many five-year-olds now attend all-day kindergartens with no time for indoor play and just one short recess each day. The rest of the day is devoted to academic studies. The same trend is affecting programs for three- and four-year-olds, who are expected to focus increasingly on academic studies without time for play. At the same time, young children are spending more and more time in front of television and computer screens. The typical child in the United States spends three to five hours per day outside of school time in these activities. Recent studies show that 26 percent of children under age 2 have televisions in their bedrooms. Exposure to electronic entertainment affects play in two ways. First, children have less time to play. Second, a steady diet of flashy screen images seems to overpower the child’s own capacity for creative play. Another factor that interferes with children’s creative play is the growing emphasis on organized activities for young children, including sports, dance, music lessons, etc. By preschool many children are immersed in so many organized programs that time for free play is scarce. In this workshop we will look at three capacities that have been linked to play: a lessening of aggression, the development of language skills, and the development of divergent thinking, which is the creative ability to approach difficult problems and find multiple solutions. All of these are important skills for meeting the challenges of modern life. What does it mean if a child doesn’t play and thus cannot develop these capacities fully? Stuart Brown, a retired psychiatrist, interviewed thousands of prisoners who had been convicted of murder and found that most had had no history of play. He interviewed others who had won a prestigious award for their creative achievements and found that nearly all had a strong background in childhood play. The absence of play can affect the health and mental well-being of the individual, but it also has implications for society. A complex modern democracy requires that its citizens be able to look at questions from several points of view and develop creative solutions. Without that ability, citizens are more likely to want authoritative governments that make decisions for them or present them with oversimplified choices. How can we restore and strengthen play in children’s lives? � Form commissions that can study play and publicize its importance in childhood. � Develop public education campaigns to show parents and others the importance of play. � Design early childhood education on the basis of strong research and positive experiences, not on fear that children will fail. � Help parents and teachers learn to facilitate play at home, in school, and outdoors. � Create safe spaces where children can play outdoors with some adult supervision and guidance. |
