When I Go To My Child's Preschool, It Looks Like They Are Just Playing. Are They Learning Anything From This?
Yes! Children learn through play. When children play, they are actively engaged in activities they have freely chosen; that is, they are self-directed and motivated from within. In its position statement on developmentally appropriate practice, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) states “Research shows that child guided, teacher-supported play benefits children in many ways. When children play, they engage in many important tasks, such as developing and practicing newly acquired skills, using language, taking turns, making friends, and regulating emotions and behavior according to the demands of the situation. This is why play needs to be a significant part of the young child’s day” (Copple & Bredekamp 2009, p. 328).
Many other experts agree that play provides a foundation for learning and later academic success. For example, research demonstrates the importance of child-initiated play (as opposed to play defined and directed by adults) in the development of language and literacy skills. When children determine the direction and content of their own play, they have many opportunities to hear and practice language.
HighScope for Parents
As parents, we all want to do everything we can to help our children be successful in school and in life. But it can be difficult to know exactly how to help them because we hear so much conflicting information about how children learn. Think about your own school experiences from childhood. You may remember your favorite teachers or subjects, which lessons were easy or difficult, and so forth. But, did you ever ask yourself why that teacher was your favorite, or why you liked that subject so much? Did you ever wonder whether you could have done better in school had you been taught a different way?
At HighScope, they have been studying young children and how they learn for over 50 years. Their landmark study, the HighScope Perry Preschool Study, was the first of its kind. HighScope’s founder, Dr. David Weikart, had some new ideas about how children learn, and based on these ideas, he developed an innovative method of teaching preschoolers. In the study, he tested this method with two groups of at-risk children, comparing a group who had the program with one who did not. HighScope researchers followed the children in the study through age 40, so we could see if that very special preschool experience made a difference in their lives…and the results were remarkable. (For more details on the Perry Preschool Study, please go to the link above).
The knowledge they took from this and other research, and from their extensive experience working with children and teachers, has evolved over the years into what is now the HighScope Curriculum.
Yes! Children learn through play. When children play, they are actively engaged in activities they have freely chosen; that is, they are self-directed and motivated from within. In its position statement on developmentally appropriate practice, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) states “Research shows that child guided, teacher-supported play benefits children in many ways. When children play, they engage in many important tasks, such as developing and practicing newly acquired skills, using language, taking turns, making friends, and regulating emotions and behavior according to the demands of the situation. This is why play needs to be a significant part of the young child’s day” (Copple & Bredekamp 2009, p. 328).
Many other experts agree that play provides a foundation for learning and later academic success. For example, research demonstrates the importance of child-initiated play (as opposed to play defined and directed by adults) in the development of language and literacy skills. When children determine the direction and content of their own play, they have many opportunities to hear and practice language.
HighScope for Parents
As parents, we all want to do everything we can to help our children be successful in school and in life. But it can be difficult to know exactly how to help them because we hear so much conflicting information about how children learn. Think about your own school experiences from childhood. You may remember your favorite teachers or subjects, which lessons were easy or difficult, and so forth. But, did you ever ask yourself why that teacher was your favorite, or why you liked that subject so much? Did you ever wonder whether you could have done better in school had you been taught a different way?
At HighScope, they have been studying young children and how they learn for over 50 years. Their landmark study, the HighScope Perry Preschool Study, was the first of its kind. HighScope’s founder, Dr. David Weikart, had some new ideas about how children learn, and based on these ideas, he developed an innovative method of teaching preschoolers. In the study, he tested this method with two groups of at-risk children, comparing a group who had the program with one who did not. HighScope researchers followed the children in the study through age 40, so we could see if that very special preschool experience made a difference in their lives…and the results were remarkable. (For more details on the Perry Preschool Study, please go to the link above).
The knowledge they took from this and other research, and from their extensive experience working with children and teachers, has evolved over the years into what is now the HighScope Curriculum.