Early play-based learning helps children develop skills and knowledge before elementary school, and provides an essential foundation for learning in later years.
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Sand is an excellent material to play with. It is versatile, widely available, open-ended and cheap. And you don’t need a fancy plastic mould to make something special.
The folded paper decorated with messages, numbers and fortunes printed under the flaps can spark conversation at gatherings or be given as a birthday card.
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How to make a ‘fortune teller’ or ‘chatterbox’ with children, and why the paper activity targets many developmental domains at once.
Locating early learning programs in schools provides stable programming infrastructure and allows for potential collaborations between early childhood educators and teachers.
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People, policies, practice and place all matter in publicly funded, school-based children’s early learning programs.
Ongoing monitoring of students in early grades will be important to identify how missing out on in-person classes has affected students.
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The lack of a fully interactive environment in kindergarten due to pandemic school closures may negatively impact some children’s learning in later grades.
The two biggest states have jointly committed to a huge investment in early childhood education and learning over the next decade. But delivering high-quality universal preschool access won’t be easy.
Talking to a puppet, as opposed to a person, makes the conversation feel less personal. It’s sometimes used in therapy to help the child feel less self-conscious and open up.
Adults sometimes trivialize play when we say children are ‘just playing’ or when we use play as a reward for when the so-called ‘real work’ is done.
P.L.A.Y.: An acronym to remind you why letting children play is a responsible and critical way to support children’s development through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some of the richest learning experiences can be disguised as exploration and adventure.
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Your children can have a rich experience, seeing different parts of the world and understanding other cultures. And there are several things you can do to support their learning.
Over the next few weeks, many preschoolers will meet their foundation teachers, spend some time in a classroom and hopefully make some new friends.
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One-quarter of children who start school aren’t developmentally ready. Play-based learning in the early years of school can help with the transition, as well as providing a host of other benefits.
Playing in nature improves children’s learning, social and emotional skills.
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Children need to play and discover the world for themselves without too much restriction. Here are some ways we can enhance children’s opportunities to do this.
It takes effort and imagination, but the benefits are many.
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Research shows play-based learning programs enhance children’s learning outcomes and teaches them skills relevant to the 21st century, such as problem-solving and creativity.
Playtime.
Kids playing via Diego Cervo/Shutterstock
Youth sports are viewed as a rite of passage in a child’s development. If the clichés that permeate sports broadcasts and locker room speeches are to be believed, sports participation teaches children…
School, or more play?
Kindergarden kids by Robert Kneschke/Shutterstock
When are children “ready” for school? There is much debate about when the transition between play-based pre-school and the start of “formal” schooling should begin. The trend in the UK primary school curriculum…
Play-based learning is just that: learning through play instead of school.
TheItchyEyes
Anyone who’s ever watched a toddler play with water and different-sized containers has seen play-based learning in action. A child will fill up a big container and tip the water into smaller ones, watching…