Using Play to Boost Academic Skills

The case for play in early childhood gets stronger and stronger every day. The more we learn about how children grow and develop, the more we see that children need to play to flourish- socially, emotionally AND academically.

A recent article in Newsweek’s The Daily Beast, Let Preschoolers Play! says:

a growing body of research supports the very real benefits of exploratory and playful learning experiences. A 2007 study published in Science evaluated a play-based program, Tools of the Mind, against a non-play-based one. After two years in the play-oriented classrooms, children scored better on self-regulation, cognitive flexibility, and working memory. The self-control kids learn through interacting and playing with others has an academic payoff, too; it’s more strongly correlated with future academic success than either IQ or early reading and math skills.

The article goes on to explain that one of the problems with teaching preschoolers in the way elementary school students are traditionally taught is that learning through trial and error is eliminated. Instead children are “fast tracked” by adults to learn basic skills. The result is limited problem solving skills and diminished creativity. The fact that these are essential skills for our children to be competitive in the business world of the 21st century should have parents and the larger community very worried!

It’s an easy fix. Let young children learn through play and hands-on experimenting!

More Law Enforcment Officers Stand Up for Preschool

A coalition of law enforcement officials across Illinois are urging their state’s lawmakers to invest in the state’s early childhood program. They are not alone. In Santa Fe, NM county sheriffs offered to cut their budgets if it meant putting more money into quality preschool programs. In Scranton, PA, a local police chief stated, “Making sure at-risk children have access to quality pre-kindergarten programs is one of the most important steps we can take to cut future crime by keeping kids from becoming criminals.” The sentiment is shared by members of the law enforcement community across the country. An article from Chicago’s Medill Reports explains why:

One study in the report followed two groups of at-risk 3- and 4-year-old students in Michigan starting in 1962. One group attended a high-quality preschool program and the other did not. The students who did not attend the school were five times more likely than the other students to be chronic offenders. By the age of 40, the people who had not attended the program were twice as likely to have been arrested for violent crimes.

Lawmakers and budget officers looking for a long term solution to state and local budget issues should give the idea of investing in preschool a serious look.

Do Babies Really Understand Words?

We’ve all been told to speak to our babies to encourage their language development, but how much does an infant really understand? New evidence shows that they understand quite a bit!

A recent study out of the University of California, San Diego shows that baby brains process words just as adult brains do. This flies in the face of the idea that baby learning is more primitive and with time the brain processes information in a more sophisticated way. You can learn more about this study in this article in PsychCentral.

So, talk to your baby. Use real words. Read with your infant. Create an environment full of wonderful language and know that every word is soaking in.

As for future implications of a study like this, I worry it may be used to support the idea that even infants should be placed in a “school setting” similar to that of older children. I hope it will help people to see that even older children would benefit from the more holistic, integrated natural learning environments that help babies to thrive.

Invest in Early Ed and Care- The Video

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This video is worth so much more! Through the voices of 4 children (an infant – 4 years old) we hear and see the effects of poverty and a lack of a positive environment in the early years. The video clip is targeted to New Mexico legislators, but the facts and statistics presented apply to every community across the country. We can invest in children and save money. It’s a win-win!

A Deeper Look at “Autistic-Like”

At the NAEYC Annual Conference in Anaheim I had the pleasure of watching a showing of the documentary Autistic-Like by filmmaker and father, Erik Linthorst. The film chronicles the journey of a family as they come to the realization that their beautiful toddler is not developing as children typically do and follows them through the maze of doctors, testing, therapies and emotional highs and lows that follow.

As early childhood educators, we are often present in the lives of families when the process of diagnosis of autism begins. And while we may be aware that going through this is difficult for parents, it is eye-opening to see the parent perspective presented in such an honest and intelligent way.

What really caught my attention was the exploration of sensory processing disorders as another possible reason for autistic-like behaviors in children. Everything in a child’s environment is filtered through the senses, and when the senses are not coordinating well, children can become overwhelmed or feel a sense of detachment. This can lead to self-soothing and repetitive behaviors that look an awful lot like autism.

In the documentary, this family discovers that their son may have sensory processing problems, and may not be autistic after all. They explore “floor time” a therapy outlined by Dr. Stanley Greenspan and eventually decide to pursue a DIR (Developmental, Individual and Relationship-based) course of therapy that yields impressive results. It made me realize that the behaviors typically associated with autism are simply behaviors and when we see those behaviors, we need to take the time to figure out the reason behind the behavior before jumping to the conclusion of autism.

For parents interested in exploring more about sensory processing issues, there is an online parent network at www.sensoryplanet.com.