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Learning Through Play: What Pediatricians, UNICEF and Educators Say

Play is not the break between the serious things. For a preschooler, it is how learning happens. What three organisations that studied it say, and what it means for you.

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Learning at home · 4 min read

For a child aged 3 to 6, play is not a break from learning. It is how learning happens. That is not just a nice idea: it is the conclusion of organisations that have studied the subject for years.

Pediatricians: play can be "prescribed"

In 2018 the American Academy of Pediatrics published a full report on play, "The Power of Play". Its conclusion: play supports the development of the brain, of language and of what specialists call executive functions, meaning attention, patience and self-control. The report recommends that pediatricians "prescribe" play to parents at well-child visits.

UNICEF: play is the main way young children learn

In a 2018 report, UNICEF explains that play is the main way young children learn. Through play they build thinking, social and emotional skills, which is exactly what they need for school.

Educators: play is the basis of early education

The official early-education curriculum in Romania (Ministry of Education, 2019) also puts play-based learning at its centre: play should be the basis of all activities for children up to age 6.

What about numbers?

An analysis of six large studies from several countries found that early number skills, like counting and recognising numbers, were the strongest predictor of later school achievement. Reading skills came second, then attention (Developmental Psychology, 2007). The good news: all three are easy to practise through play.

What this means at home

  • A worksheet is a game, not homework. If it starts to feel like homework, stop and try another day.
  • Count anything. Stairs, buttons, the ducks on the page. Counting does not need a lesson.
  • Let your child lead. If they want a purple giraffe, the giraffe is purple.
  • A little and often. Ten minutes today and ten tomorrow help more than an hour on Sunday.

Sources

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