Theh o w c h i l d Wisdom r e n l e a r n t o m a k e s e n s eof o f t hPlay e w o r l d Introduction by David Elkind “Many of our greatest thinkers locate their capacity for original and profound thought in their imaginative abilities, first developed through creative play in early childhood.” – Sharna Olfman Psychology Professor Point Park University Theh o w c h i l d reWisdom n l e a r n t o m a k e s e n s eof o f t hPlay e w o r l d Contents Introduction – David Elkind ..................................................................2 History – David Elkind ...........................................................................4 Time – Sydney Gurewitz Clemens ...........................................................6 Imagination – Richard Lewis .................................................................8 Brain Research – Stuart Brown ...........................................................10 Research and Current Trends – Joan Almon & Edward Miller ........... 12 Building Blocks for Learning – Katrina Ferrara ................................ 14 – Kathryn Hirsh-Pasek – Roberta M. Golinkoff Active Learning – Larry Schweinhart ................................................. 16 Nature – Rachel Grob ......................................................................... 18 Open-ended and Creative Play – Francis Wardle ............................. 20 Author Biographies .......................................................................... 22 Bibliography ..................................................................................... 24 …a way to learn about self and the world through self-created experiences. the brief articles in this booklet When children play games of Introduction present from a variety of their own invention, or even – David Elkind, PhD perspectives. For young children traditional games like hide and in particular, play is a fundamental seek, they often make up their lay, like love and work, is mode of learning. An infant’s own rules as to who is to be “it” an ambiguous term—with playful babbling teaches them to and what the limits of the game meaning that changes create all the sounds needed to are. In this way, children learn over the course of the speak their native tongue or any what Jean Piaget called “mutual Phuman life cycle. The play, love, language. A toddler learns that respect.” Mutual respect means and work of children are simply when you bang a metal spoon or that when one child makes a rule, different from those of adults. We a wooden spoon, you get two very the others follow. But the rule easily understand the new side of different sounds. A child learns maker must in turn follow the “love” that emerges in adolescence, through dramatic play that some rules made later by another child. and that the adult concept of work children are bossy, others timid. It is only when children engage in self-initiated play of this kind —earning one’s own living—does In playing board games like that they acquire a solid sense of not apply to children. Yet when it Checkers or Monopoly, a child mutual respect. comes to children’s play, we tend to learns not only strategy, but think of it in adult terms—as the also to read the body language Clearly, play serves a very opposite of work, engaged in for and vocal intonations of other different function for children its own sake. children. And, in seeing how than it does for adults. For However, child play is very other children respond to him or children, it is a way to learn different from adult play, as her during the game, the child about self and the world through learns about self. self-created experiences. That is one reason child-initiated play is so important and why it should not be replaced either by adult-organized sports or by academic activities disguised as games. When we appreciate the important role play serves in a child’s learning about self and world, we give children the time and opportunity to engage in the self-initiated play that is the surest way for them to fully realize all of their intellectual, emotional and social potential. 3 …it starts with the child and not with the subject matter. The philosophical foundations education came to be seen as History of early childhood education an important first step on the – David Elkind, PhD were provided by John Amos educational ladder. Comenius, John Locke, and Jean In America, the Head Start Jacques Rousseau. Its curriculum arly childhood Program, launched in the 1960s and methodology were created education, the care for low-income children, had by the likes of Johann Heinrich and instruction of an unintended consequence. Pestalozzi, Friedrich Froebel, young children outside Although it was very effective, the Maria Montessori, and Rudolf Eof the home, over the last half title gave parents the impression Steiner. Most recently, it was century has become a downward that education was a race, and that scientifically grounded by extension of schooling. It the earlier you start, the earlier and the research and theories of is now the first rung on the better you finish. Middle-income Sigmund Freud, Jean Piaget, and educational ladder. In many parents wanted their preschoolers Erik Erikson. While there are respects, however, this most to have a head start as well. This differences in the approaches recent addition to the pedagogical gave added emphasis to the of these progenitors of early hierarchy is quite different from importance of early childhood childhood education, they are its elementary and secondary education as the answer to overshadowed by one common predecessors. improving the educational system. principle: that early childhood The early childhood curriculum curriculum and practice must be As a consequence, kindergarten, is the most holistic and least adapted to the maturing needs, once a half-day affair required by differentiated at any level abilities, and interests of the child. only 40 percent of US states, has of education. It is also the become largely a full-day affair This was the principle embodied most solidly grounded in required nationwide. Academics, in the first kindergarten program, philosophy, in clearly articulated including math and reading developed by Friedrich Froebel methodology, and in theory curricula, testing and grades, are (1782-1852) and the first early and research. Those who now the norm in many schools. childhood program to be contributed to the discipline of Programs for younger children widely adopted in both Europe early childhood education came have expanded as well. Today, and abroad. The kindergarten from occupations and professions some 80 percent of children movement was propelled by the outside the academic domain. under the age of six spend part industrial revolution and the What they had in common was or full time in non-parental introduction of women into the an understanding of children. child care settings. Having your factory labor force. Later, Maria And that is what makes early child cared for outside of the Montessori’s (1870-1952) early childhood education unique; it home, once looked down upon childhood program was also starts with the child and not with as an abrogation of a mother’s widely adopted both in Europe the subject matter. maternal instinct, is now a and abroad. But it was not until socially accepted practice. Indeed, after WWII that early childhood 4 those parents who choose not to of early childhood education, “the new first grade.” The articles put their children in out-of-home supported by an overwhelming presented in this booklet make settings are the ones perceived amount of contemporary research clear that a play-based curriculum as insufficiently concerned with and classroom experience, is is best suited to meet the emerging their child’s welfare. dismissed as irrelevant. Instead, needs, abilities and interests of we have had a politically and young children. We have come too With the rapid expansion and commercially driven effort to far from where early education acceptance of early childhood make early childhood education began: with the child. programs, the basic principle 5 …the hummy rhythm of the children’s attention to their work. relaxes. To children, time is it’s “cleanup time.” Respecting Time measured in units of joy. this, some programs choose to let structures remain—out of – Sydney Gurewitz Clemens From the moment they greet the way of the cleaning staff—so the children in the morning, building can continue tomorrow. two-year-old on the adults at a child care center sandy beach with a pail or kindergarten convey their Waiting in line at the supermarket and a shovel lives in attitude about how time is to be feels wasteful unless you play with joy, outside of time. He used. Without pressure, there’s the other people in line. So it is Ahas the attention span of a giant. time to say hello and ask how in the early childhood classroom. He will play, with or without your things are going. Courteous, If children have to wait, they company, as long as you’ll let him. relaxed interactions start a good will get impatient or angry—not A seven-year-old city child, at day. Where time is organized emotions you’re trying to develop. that same beach, lets himself rigidly and there’s never enough Wise teachers thus arrange a fluid, hang out, observes people, birds, of it, staff and children collide. responsive day with minimal and water. Suddenly, without an Children want to keep on waiting. In Reggio Emilia, Italy, external trigger, he gets up and building with blocks until they’ve children and staff work together sprints along the beach and into finished what they’re building, on a project for as long as eight the water up to just the right and they resent having to tear or ten weeks, returning to it most height, stops, rests, considers, down what they’ve built because days, as if they had all the time in the world. A great deal can be accomplished by children working on this kind of extended timeline, and these children’s ability to understand how the world works changes because mindful time was invested in important exploration.