When To Play And When To Get Out Of The Way

Surveys show that most early childhood educators request a reduction in academic pressures and more respect for the normal developmental range of abilities in young children. They want less testing, less data, less paperwork and more time to focus on the individual and unique needs of children. In short, they want more space to implement developmentally appropriate, child directed learning experiences; or the freedom to play.

But not all play is created equal.

While unfettered exploration is essential to allowing children to grow important skills, so is adult-directed guidance and scaffolding. In this workshop we define the spectrum of play depending on the adult or child’s initiation and direction and consider when to play and when to get out of the way, depending on the desired learning outcomes.