Play Based Learning

Play itself is a voluntary, enjoyable activity with no purpose or end goal. Believe it or not, activities like this lay the foundation for a child to become a curious and excited learner later in life. Play-based learning helps children develop social skills, motivation to learn, and even language and numeracy skills. Taking initiative, focused attention, and curiosity about the world are all a part of play. Children are naturally wired to do the very thing that will help them learn and grow. According to the NAEYC, "The impulse to play comes from a natural desire to understand the world."

 

Elements of Play Based Learning

·       Self chosen: A child voluntary chooses to play, how they'll play, and for how long. An adult may initiate play insofar as he or she invites or suggests play but the child determines the rest.

·       Enjoyable: Play is enjoyable for the child. This emotional aspect is important. There may be some frustrations or disagreements during play but overall it's pleasurable.

·       Unstructured: A child has ample time to explore and discover during play. They're directed by their own interests, not by any prescribed rules or plans.

·       Process-oriented: There is no end or learning goal. Instead, it's the process of play that's important.

·       Make believe: Play often involves imagination, 'make believe', or 'playing pretend'.

Play-based learning programs: Pros

·       Children get to choose their own activities and topics and this keeps them interested

·       Contributes to kindergarten readiness:

·       Play helps develop social skills and children with social skills are more successful in academics later on

·       Children in play-based programs score better on measures of self-regulation, cognitive flexibility, and working memory (Diamond et al. 2007). Self-regulation and impulse control is predictive of later academic success

Play-based learning programs: Cons

·       Children may not be exposed directly to learning letters, numbers, or scientific concepts

·       Children may not score as highly on standardized testing (until after first grade)

Academic programs: Pros

·       Early attention skills are predictive of academic success later on

·       Children are more familiar with academic subjects by the time they enter kindergarten

Academic programs: Cons

·       Can cause children to lose interest because they are being told what to learn and do

·       Children in academic programs have been shown to score higher on standardized tests than their counterparts but this gap closes by first grade

·       Children in academic programs often have more behavior problems than those in play-based programs

·       Teaching academics earlier doesn't lead to faster cognitive development

·       One of the most important things children need is self-confidence and judging them and telling them their ideas are 'right' or 'wrong' instills the opposite. It can make them feel ashamed or embarrassed for trying.

·       Teacher-led learning can dampen creativity and curiosity (Fuller et al. 2017)

Gianfranco Morello@NU