Playtime and Academics in Kindergarten
Kindergarten, the most exciting educational time for anyone’s life. Every child’s dream of finally going to school and having time to play with children they just met. But now a days is playtime still considered a learning way for kindergarteners? Lea Winerman, writer of “Playtime in Peril,” explains how psychologists and educators have found research that young children in New York and Los Angeles spend less time on playtime when they are in kindergarten.
Kindergarteners have been having way less playtime than twenty years ago, they barely have time to learn while playing. Since children are spending less playtime in school, Winerman believes that these Kindergarteners are not having playtime at
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Most kindergarteners are forced to take on critical learning material that a first grader should be learning. In Maryland’s Montgomery County, kindergarteners are given a reading exam by the end of the year and most of them pass it (Curwood, 2014). Last century, kindergarteners did not received any type of reading exams, they were not even introduced to reading. Kindergarten was fun and children did not have to stress about not being able to learn how to read or write. There was also hardly any homework that would take children hours to finish. I remember my cousin about two years ago being stuck at home not able to go out and play with her neighbors because she had so much homework to do. Keep in mind, this is only kindergarten and she already had a lot of homework to do and on top of that, she had to learn how to read or else they would held her back before going in to first grade. Grades have shifted now, first grade has become second grade and so on (Curwood, 2014). So is there a point in kindergarten now? Since it is now first grade, should children go to kindergarten before going in to first grade? That would be like repeating the grade all over …show more content…
The disappearing of playtime is causing a mental health problem in children (Jacobson, 2008). As mentioned before, Winerman also believes that the lack of playtime in schools is causing health problems like anxiety and stress in these young children. Education is putting a lot of pressure in learning a lot of material and not giving them enough playtime. Keeping children healthy is a key while in school, if children are healthy they will not miss a day of class and will be on top of what is being introduced; To keep a child healthy, they have to exercise and play. If preschools and kindergarten are going to diminish playtime, they should at least have physical education. It is the same as playtime but it will focus more on exercising. Physical education will teach children the importance of exercising and staying healthy throughout their life time. Playing is important for children because they learn capabilities of the body and how it moves (Sanders & Graham, 1995). Exercising and learning about the body interests children, anything that has nothing to do with writing and reading will interest children. Children will learn a lot and fast if it interests
The article by Erika Christakis, informs future teachers and parents how preschool today may not be benefiting their children as much as they thought. She talks about how preschool has changed drastically over the years as well as kindergarten. She states that “kindergarten may be the new first grade”. Her statement shows how children today are expected more then they were years ago in all grades, especially preschool and at such a young age. Many think this is helping our children or will benefit them in the future if they know more as a child but this may not be the case. The article talks about multiple studies done throughout America to children are learning and how school curriculum changing affects children. A studied showed that children
This will impact on a child or young person’s intellectual development as they will be more alert and ready to learn, physical activity is also likely to encourage social and emotional development as schools will provide sports clubs and after school activities, giving children and young people the opportunity to socialise and progress in self-esteem.
Physical activity supports a child’s overall health and well being. It helps with bodily development (i.e. muscle build up and heart and lung function). It helps tackle childhood obesity, promotes a positive attitude to sport, playing outside and other physical activities in later life.
Young children learn and grow everyday. Especially, young children, the ages three years to five years old, learn important skills while they play with friends and interact with their teachers. Janice J. Beaty (2014) states that for young children, “play is their way of learning” (p. 167) Thus, teachers need to observe children while they play and assess the development of the child because “Knowing the development of a young child helps a teacher to plan the curriculum, to set up activities for individuals, or to ask for special help when necessary” (Beaty, 2014, p. 3).
There are numerous theories of play and countless theorists, from Freud and Spencer to Piaget and Vygotsky, who have studied play in relation to what it is and what it does for the child. This essay will outline the definition and value of play and the importance of how it can foster the child’s learning in regards to these theorists who studied the effects in great detail. It will discuss the how the environments constructed by educators can impact play and the theories of learning relating to the quote “play and learning are inextricably woven together ...” Ebbeck and Waniganayake, 2010, p. 5).
The terms “play”, “learn” and “teach” are commonly used in the early childhood sector. This essay attempts to define and interconnect these terms to produce a holistic understanding of how play can be used as a medium to help children learn.
Did you know that play expands a child’s learning and development? Once parents understand that play is crucial in their child’s life then they can begin to help their son or daughter be the best he or she can be. According to Lev Vygotsky “play shapes how children make sense of their worlds, how they learn thinking skills, and how they acquire language.” After spending time at the Bombeck Center I learned that children play in many diverse ways, thus learning numerous new things within each center in which they interact. Lev Vygotsky along with Jean Piaget researched the need for guided social interaction as well as the necessity for spontaneous, self-discovered learning. The Bombeck Center focuses on a play-based learning curriculum to ensure a child’s ability to access social interactions and self-discoveries at the tip of their fingers.
Early childhood is a time of curiosity, a time for play, and a time of rapid development. Every child is unique and deserving of an early childhood education that facilitates academic, social, and developmental growth through a variety of enjoyable experiences. Differentiated instruction adapts content, products and processes to meet the diverse learning needs and preferences of students (Thousand, Villa, & Nevin, 2007). Friedrich Froebel, the creator of Kindergarten, believed that children grow and learn as they play (Bruno, 2009). Play-based instruction not only enables young learners to have fun, but it also encourages interactive and cooperative learning, passion for discovery, and a foundation for later learning experiences
To children, play is just fun. However, playtime is as important to their development as food and good care. Playtime helps children be creative, learn problem-solving skills and learn self-control. Good, hardy play, which includes running and yelling, is not only fun, but helps children to be physically and mentally healthy.
Research, past and present, clearly points to the importance of play for the healthy and full development of the young child. Piaget theorized that a child's mental models, or cognitive structures, are based on the child's activities: engagement makes meaning. Many children today are not benefiting from a balance of intellect and imagination. Play is declining in our schools and preschools to meet the social
Although it has been 15 years since I played with building blocks and enjoyed taking a nap in a kindergarten classroom, playing with other kids and using games to learn fundamental skills like counting and how to write the alphabet are some of the most vivid memories from my fairly young childhood. Even going back and visiting the elementary school I attended, I don’t see the “formal education” method that David Kohn mentions in his NYTimes article, “Let Kids Learn Through Play”.
Physical activity has not only physical benefits. It also has a very big impact on social-emotional and cognitive aspects of child’s live. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “The development of a physically active lifestyle is a goal for all children. Traditional team and competitive sports may promote healthy activity for selected youth. Individual sports, noncompetitive sports, lifetime sports, and recreational activities expand the opportunity for activity to everyone. The opportunity to be active on a regular basis, as well as the enjoyment and competence gained from activity, may increase the chances that a physically active lifestyle will be adopted.”
“Play is developmentally appropriate for primary-age children and can provide them with opportunities that enrich the learning experience” (Copple & Bredekamp 2009). Early childhood education holds two main focuses; a child-based focus and a family-based focus. Early childhood education has positive outcomes on the child through their learning experiences, and their growth and development. Based on the family, the results of early education happen through the communication that the family has with the educators and by the encouragement they get from within themselves, and also from the educators.
Santrock (2012) also outlines the benefit of play for the child's physical development, as it "permits the child to work off excess physical energy and to release pent-up tensions" (Santrock, 2012, p.438), resulting in improved physical and mental health. Garvey (1991, p.27) states that play involving physical activity occurs more frequently in healthy children, possibly confirming that it is a component of healthy development. In addition to this, encouraging physical activity through play could influence the children to maintain a healthy lifestyle later in life, and has an array of physical and mental health benefits which prevent disease associated with lack of activity (Chaloux and Media, 2013.)
Play is the foundation stone of children’s healthy and productive lives (Oliver & Klugman, 2002) and is also a significant means of child’s learning and development (Zigler, Singer & Bishop-