That
is why children are so deeply affected by early childhood
experiences and relationships - which provide input for the
remainder of the brain's development - and, likewise, why
it is so important for parents and other regular caregivers
to make these experiences positive and enriching. As parents
are well aware, many factors contribute to raising healthy,
happy, and loving children, far too many to be adequately
discussed here. This article focuses on just one of those
factors -- play.
Children Have Innate Will to Learn
At no other time of life do we learn as much, or as naturally,
as during the early childhood years. As adults, we often decide
to learn some skill - to play tennis or speak a foreign language
- and then choose a learning method, such as reading a book
or taking lessons. Compare that learning with the one-year-old
girl who starts speaking simple words one day, or the boy
of 18 months who decides that today is the day he'll pull
himself up to a standing position and try to take a step or
two. When children "discover" stairs, they will spend hours
climbing up and down to master that skill. Naturally we encourage
these preliminary talking and walking behaviors, but the fact
is that unless we actively discourage them, all healthy
children will do the same. Children are born with an innate
will to explore and learn. Newly discovered skills are practiced
with a ferocity that may look like work, but also with an
enthusiasm and joy that can only characterize play.
Play Helps Prepare Children for School
According to the U.S. Department of Education, approximately
a third of new kindergarteners lack basic language skills,
such as the ability to identify letters of the alphabet. Kindergarten
teachers report that a similar percentage lag behind in the
necessary social skills, such as self-control and respect
for others. You can help ensure that your child is ready for
school by engaging in play activities that nurture development
of language and social skills.
Children learn best through their experiences with people
they love and trust, building intuitive knowledge by watching
and imitating. Hands-on interactive activities help them practice
and refine their language, listening, social, and reasoning
skills, and older preschoolers want to engage in these activities
with other children as well as with adults. Give your preschooler
opportunities for imagination-based play too, such as "what
if" games. Multisensory activities are also important because
young children learn about the physical world through all
their senses, integrating sight, sound, and touch activities
with language. In many kindergarten classrooms, computers
play a significant role in providing multisensory activities
- children can read and listen to stories as well as write
their own, play word and math games, make videos, download
pictures for web pages and storybooks, and learn about the
environment through live online cameras.
Learn and Play at Home
You can provide the same opportunities at home with AOL®
Learning Games, where learning and fun combine in a variety
of engaging activities. Your child can develop and practice
skills in language arts, reading, math, science, and social
studies, as well as explore creative writing, drawing, and
music.
And you don't have to be a member of AOL® -- EVERYONE
can take advantage of AOL® Learning Games! There's absolutely
no commitment -- so take 30 days to try the product for yourself.
Click
here for your FREE Trial.
Check out other services too, such as AOL®
Writing Wizard, which helps students improve writing skills
and AOL®
Step by Step Math for improved success in math.
Debra
Pryor has over 20 years of experience in the K-12 education
market. She is the author of Technology in the Classroom;
Ahead of the Trend Study: Youth and Education; The Ten Emerging
Truths: New Directions for Girls 11-17; and Empowering the
Next Generation Learner, and has been quoted on educational
issues in USA Today, New York Times, and Los Angeles Times.
Deborah Meyers has over 30 years' experience in the areas
of education, communication, and public information. As writer
and project manager for Partners In Brainstorms, Inc., a consulting
firm specializing in identifying current and future dynamics
in the education market, she has contributed to numerous program
materials for tweens and teens ages 11-17 as well as research
reports on the K-12 education market.
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