“In
an increasing number of kindergartens, teachers must follow scripts from which
they may not deviate.”
This
really shocked and saddened me. I have always wanted to teach kindergarten. One
of the greatest things I remember about kindergarten is how fun it was. I just
cannot imagine what kind of impression kindergarten would have made on me if I
were forced to prepare for and take tests as a daily activity. I would have
hated school right from the beginning! Standardized testing in kindergarten?
The way I see it, this is essentially robbing children of an essential part of
childhood. They have to grow up too fast as it is.
“Young
children work hard at play. They invent scenes and stories, solve problems, and
negotiate their way through social roadblocks. They know what they want to do
and work diligently to do it. Because their motivation comes from within, they
learn the powerful lesson of pursuing their own ideas to a successful
conclusion.”
I
have no doubt that there is much benefit to play. This quote struck me because
it does an excellent job of summing up a set of essential life skills that have
a foundation in play. Play fosters growth and stimulates cognitive development
in ways that drill and kill and/or standardized testing cannot. It also serves
as a sort of “release”. As children, we call this play, but as adults, we call
them hobbies. I feel that all of us, even as adults, need an outlet. These outlets
cleanse the mind and relieve stress. Play is intrinsically rewarding at any
age. I feel we would be doing our students a great disservice if we squelched
it right from the very beginning.
“Many
affluent children now need help entering into creative play because of the surfeit
of media and organized activities in their lives.”
I totally agree with this quote. However, I really
don’t think it is just limited to affluent children. Children in general these
days do not engage in play the way we did as kids. We were always outside, we
were playing, we were using our imaginations, and so on. Children these days
don’t have to do this. Video games, television, computers, iPods, etc. have
taken the place of good old fashioned play. Our children don’t have to be
creative anymore. We have relied on other things to do this for them. My
children, for example, don’t really know how to play. If I were to ask them to
play outside and give them nothing to use but their imaginations, they wouldn’t
know where to begin.
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“It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for learning and a time for play without seeing the vital connection between them.”
-Leo Buscaglia, author, educator
This Blog is full of great ideas and wonderful quotes about the importance of play.
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Sources:
Math
Tutor Beverly Hills. (2010). Quotes on
why children need play.
Retrieved from
Miller,
E., & Almon, J. (n.d). Crisis in
Kindergarten: Why children need to play in school.
Retrieved from:
https://online.fairmontstate.edu/webct/urw/lc1505011.tp0/cobaltMainFrame.dowebct
Good discussion of the need for play to promote good learning!
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