Saturday 28 June 2014

PLAY IS NOT A 4 LETTER WORD



PLAY IS NOT A 4 LETTER WORD- Understanding why play is the work of childhood and how it stimulates brain development.
In India, the focus in most early childhood centers’ is on teaching kids reading, writing, number work and so ‘rote and drill’ methods are a preferred teaching styles. But if 98% of the brain develops in the first five years- then is a foundation of ‘drill and rote’ learning good for kids? Ofcourse not! This kind of foundation is creating students that lack logic, thinking and questioning skills. Whereas, a play based curriculum helps stimulate brain growth and nurtures the growing executive functions of the brain. Play helps children learn better, retain better and enjoy the learning process. Play teaches kids to reason, use logic, plan, work with others, sometimes lead and sometimes follow, to win or lose, to shake hands and make up after a fight.
So should we do away with all ‘learning’ in Kindergartens?
Play is not the enemy of learning. It is “learning’s” partner. Play is the fertilizer for brain growth. Play is learning for kids. Did you know that the foundation of geometry and physics is laid in the kindergarten years? Yes, it is. Children interact with the basic principles of geometry and physics when they play with blocks! This why the kindergarten years are important and so is play in these years, because after all play is the work of childhood.  
Every child goes through kindergarten, but how many teachers and parents actually know the meaning or the founder of kindergarten. Today in India, kindergarten has become K.G and it stands for reading, writing and number work, only. However, is that the real kindergarten?
Friedrich Froebel, a German educationist was the founder of the kindergarten system. “Kindergarten” is a German word which means “children’s garden’, i.e., a place in which young human minds are cultivated. According to him, “the development of the child is to be through play. In play, the child makes the internal external and so the work of teaching in the kindergarten system is to be done in the play spirit.  The child will be and should be taught everything through play.”
PLAY IS THE WORK OF CHILDHOOD, SO LET KIDS PLAY.

16 comments:

Arwah Dalal said...

Children are playful by nature.
Their earliest experience exploring with their senses lead them to play.
Ma'am I agree that many teachers and parents dont know who was the founder of Kindergarten.....

Aleesha said...

Information that every parent should read. Specially those who only think bout the race to success and growing competition.

vaishali joshi said...

Kids really learn basic math with play. We experienced when we done the project "Math with Nature", it helps children learn basic math like matching, sorting,shapes,patterns. Play is best way to take the children towards academics. play gives concrete experiences to the children. Thanks ma'am for such a informative article.
Vaishali Joshi.

Sonali Karmakar said...

Yes indeed I agree play is not the enemy of learning. It is learning's partner. There is a strong link between play and learning. It not only helps in physical and social development but also helps in language and personal development.

Anonymous said...

I completely agree with you ma'am, learn through play is the best way where a child learns without stress on his brain. Only few schools are following this way of teaching and we are lucky to be a part of your curriculum.

Anonymous said...

Man is the most intellectual being in the creation. He is endowed with the power to receive knowledge, to think, to imagine, reflect & speculate about his past as well as his future. Then why we are decreasing the power of child by just doing rote learning. During play, children also increase their social competence and emotional maturity. Play is so important to optimal child development that it has been recognized by the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights as a right of every child. I completely agree that Play is wonderful way of lifetime learning for child.

Anonymous said...

Play is an incredibly powerful teaching tool for young children. Play is one of the main ways in which children learn. It helps to build self worth by giving a child a sense of his or her own abilities and to feel good about themselves. Because it’s fun, children often become very absorbed in what they are doing. In turn, this helps them develop the ability to concentrate. Providing children with a range of playthings will help them learn in a number of ways Play is how children begin to understand their world.

pjkparbhani said...

A play based curriculum helps stimulate brain growth and nurtures the growing executive functions of the brain.We are feeling proud to have PLAY based curriculum in Podar Jumbo Kids from the beginning.

Unknown said...

Play helps children enjoy the learning process.It also useful to bring their emotions/stress out.Play is very essential for holistic development of child. We are very much proud of Kiducation which is based on play way method.

Anonymous said...

One thing that is a permanent feature of our childhood memories is playing with friends from hide and seek to snake and ladders to ludo we have experienced it all.Through these games we developed social skills we learnt an important lesson that you might not always win at times you will have to see others win also and rejoice in both moments equally.We learnt the art of sharing and not to forget the enhancement of our thinking skills and creativity. Play was comparatively easier to experience and learn in comparison to our school lessons, blessed are the children of today who are introduced to concepts at school through the play way method and no more experience the rote learning pattern which was once the essence of all conventional schools.
Thanks to such articles which are reminders of simple terms that make a big difference to a child's upbringing...lets play and have fun.

jayshree shah said...

Play as explained in article is not a 4 letter word it's a excitement for child exploring, fun, sharing &learning through play.
Play seems to be the essential feature in productive scientific thought-before there is any connection with logical construction in words or other kinds of signs that can be communicated to others.Your articles truly inspire &guide us about important aspects of child hood & brain connections.

shilpa said...

Best article with information and importance Thanks for recalling founder of “Kindergarten” and i like this .” PLAY IS THE WORK OF CHILDHOOD, SO LET KIDS PLAY it is kids learning right.

shilpa said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Play is fun for children. Play is the way children learn. The learn about themselves, their environment, people and the world around them. As they play, children learn to solve problems and to get along with others. As rightly said in the article play helps in developing reading and writing skills as well in children. Play in early childhood is the best foundation for young brain.

Regards,
Farheen Shaikh

nagpur jumbo kid said...

Information is very important every body should read it

Uma Wagh PJK Jalgaon said...

Play gives children freedom to express,but it is not given in the early years .Because many parents think when the child is admitted to K.G he/she should know writing first, which is last skill to develop.

Ma'am articles you share are really very good for parenting.Please allow us to send a circular about your blog , so that all parents read it.