Play = Learning

This is the hardest post I've ever had to write.  Ugh, now I feel like The Bachelor at a rose ceremony...Let me start by saying that I am deeply committed to idea that children learn best through play.  This is an issue I plan to explore in more detail in later posts.  Technically, it's not off topic for Mama Drama:  play not only forms the basis for creative thinking, but also for drama itself. 

I am very disturbed by the growing trend of pushing kids to do more, faster; to create baby Einsteins.  It's a no-win situation we've gotten ourselves into, really.  Either we "keep up with the Joneses" and over-schedule our kids with classes and lessons until they suffocate, or we keep them out of the classes but feel guilty for failing our children by not doing all we can to give them the very best start in life.  Add to this standardized testing which forces teachers to "teach to the test" and we're giving children a very narrow education, not to mention limited approaches to learning the material.  The fact is, not all children learn the same way.  I don't, by any means, advocate dispensing with academics.  I just feel that we need an integrated approach that encompasses play-based learning as well as academics.

Are you asleep yet?  No?  Well, keep reading..

Part of my exploration will include reading texts devoted to the subject.  While I was on mat leave, I read Einstein Never Used Flash Cards by Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff.  It blew my socks off.  It completely changed my viewpoint on how to raise creative, thinking children without the fancypants electronic toys that the media has us believe are "must-haves", and it made me want to read more.  You can imagine how excited I was to see that they were collaborating on another text:  Play = Learning: How Play Motivates and Enhances Children's Cognitive and Social-Emotional Growth. This is an incredibly well-written book that is thoroughly researched, but it requires great concentration to read.  I consider myself a well-educated reader, but reading this book was a challenge.  In fact, I haven't gotten all the way through it yet.  I plan to, but the subway ride to and from work doesn't give me all that much time, and it's slow going.

Is it bad form to speak about a book that you haven't read in it's entirety?  Maybe so.  I'm a trailblazer that way.  Bottom line is, unless you're really passionate about play theory (which I am), I wouldn't recommend that you read this book.  As a parent, you're better off reading Einstein Never Used Flash Cards.  That was a dense book, but one aimed at educated parents instead of scholars.  Play = Learning has some great ideas, though.  Here are a couple highlights:

• The book discusses Vygotsky's theory of "scaffolding", where the child is the building under construction, and the adult (or the senior sibling/peer) provides the scaffold or framework for a child to master new skills.  The adult varies the help he/she gives to adapt to the child's performance level, and changes the task so that it doesn't demand more skill than the child is capable of.  The adult's intervention should also be appropriate to the child's learning needs.  Most adults do this fairly naturally, but what interested me was when he applies this theory of "adult scaffolding" to make-believe play.  He says that "adult participation in make-believe...[should build] on toddlers' play behaviours through demonstrations, suggestions, turn-taking and joint involvement...[to foster] mature make-believe...In contrast, toddlers whose mothers frequently negated, corrected, and directed ("No, dolls don't go in cups, they go in the doll house")" tended towards more immature play.  And of course, mature play leads to more creative, literate and socially adapted children.  That really made me stop and look at how I play with my son.  I don't think that I am a negative force, but I know I've done similar "corrections" when playing with him.
• Also in the book are many examples of how to foster play in an academic or preschool setting.  For example, having children work on daily "journals" where they draw a picture and dictate to the teacher what the picture represents.  The teacher records this without correction or suggestion.  The teacher doesn't force the child to contribute if he/she doesn't want to, or explain the picture if they have nothing to say - it's completely voluntary.  For younger children, this can start with simple squiggles, and the teacher noting down "Sarah is drawing with the colour blue".  But they went on to show how this could develop into full-blown stories as the child gets older, and even include "kid writing".  This kind of exercise introduces writing and print-awareness through drawing.  It fosters the idea that writing is fun, and since they are encouraged to go at their own pace and tell their own stories, it teaches them that their ideas are important and valuable.

Still reading?  Thanks!  I really do appreciate it.

As I said before, this book is not for everyone, but it an excellent academic text on the subject.  It's got concrete stats to back up all the theories, too.  It's really quite thought-provoking - if you don't fall asleep on the subway while reading it.

Comments

[metro mama]

Interesting. I should put the fiction aside and read this.

I do try to let her play without directing her much (but I don't know the science behind it).

[Sandra]

I used Vygotsky's ideas in my master's thesis - nice to be reminded of him in this context.

Monkeygirl is in a few programs - a music class and a sporty type thing (heh - not wanting to "name names"...). She loves both and has a good time. Some of the other moms (not many, a few) are soooo driven with their toddlers - they must "do it right", whatever the activity is. Bang the drum "right", throw the ball "correctly".

I think we parents need to play more ourselves and get into that mindset. Process rather than product and just be with our kids.

::::pontificating mode off:::::::

[motherbumper]

I find the part about negated, corrected, and directed "tended towards more immature play" very interesting. And like you wrote, I have done that during play with B though most of the time I'm fascinated with the way she directs play. I know that they are probably talking about a caregiver who does it all the time (or at least that's what I'm telling myself) but the theory makes sense. It sounds like a very interesting read.

[kittenpie]

Pumpkinpie is turning into such a bossy buttons that soon, I'll be the one with an immature level of play! (As you know, I am a big supporter of playing as learning, even without the reading!)

[painted maypole]

you might like the book PlayDancing