One thing that is seriously underestimated in the education field is the value of playing with children. Not just allowing children to play with other children but as a parent and caregiver playing with the children you've chosen to care for.
The field of early childhood education is usually concerned with finding ways to ensure that our children are ready for school. In college I took a class with a professor who challenged that thought.
She told a story about working for a HeadStart Program here in California. One of her co-workers grew disillusioned with the bureaucracy and headed out on her own. She opened a preschool out of her home.
Within two years, kindergarten teachers were calling her to ask what curriculum she was using. Her answer was always the same when they called and asked what she did. "I play with the kids."
No one believed her and yet her students were always eager to learn. They were well prepared for kindergarten. They knew the alphabet, numbers through 20, shapes, colors. They could write their name.
Teachers kept calling. She kept giving the same answer. Finally she was talking with my professor one day. My professor asked the same question all the other teachers had asked. The woman gave the same answer and then invited her over to see the room. Here is her description of the classroom:
"In one corner there was a pretend kitchen, next to it was set up to be a grocery store. There was an area for blocks, an area with lots of pillows for when the kids felt tired. There was a corner full of lots of books near the pillows. She had an old empty tub that she filled with sand, and one she filled with water. All over the room, kids played. There was a pillow near the kitchen cause some of the kids were playing house and needed a bedroom. There were blocks on the 'kitchen' table that the kids said was dinner. There were books in by the pillows cause one of the kids wanted to 'read' while he napped. Down low on the walls where the kids could see the pictures, each child had a picture of their parents. During my visit I saw several of the kids go over and 'talk' to their mom or dad. The older kids had asked how to spell their names and my colleague had written their names down on paper. When they tired of practicing their name, they ran off to play with something else. She got down on the floor and played with the kids. They used the blocks as 'cars' and raced around the room. She played dress-up with the kids and then they put on a 'show'. The whole day, she was right there with the kids. At the end of the day, she simply said, 'It's housekeeping time!' To my amazement the children were excited and happily began to clean up. They made games of cleaning up. It was amazing."
When I was a child, I remember the times my mom played with me. I always felt special to have her attention. As a homeschooling mom, I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to play with my daughter.
Play makes the child feel loved, valued and supported. They learn how to respond to different stimuli based on how we play. We teach them by them watching us. Go play with your child. No matter how old they might be.
