Comments on: A Case for Play In School http://www.returnplaytokids.com/2009/05/crisis-in-the-kindergarten-why-children-need-to-play-in-school/ Because a child's imagination is Nature's classroom Wed, 21 Jul 2010 04:45:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Deb McCollister http://www.returnplaytokids.com/2009/05/crisis-in-the-kindergarten-why-children-need-to-play-in-school/comment-page-1/#comment-31 Deb McCollister Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:58:05 +0000 http://www.returnplaytokids.com/?p=47#comment-31 Another great article on play appeared this weekend in the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/magazine/27tools-t.html?_r=1&em Development of "executive function" is positively related to play experiences. Author Paul Tough reports that the "ability of young children to control their emotional and cognitive impuses...is a remarkably strong indicator of both short-term and long-term success, academic and otherwise." Tell us what you think!!! Another great article on play appeared this weekend in the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/magazine/27tools-t.html?_r=1&em
Development of “executive function” is positively related to play experiences. Author Paul Tough reports that the “ability of young children to control their emotional and cognitive impuses…is a remarkably strong indicator of both short-term and long-term success, academic and otherwise.”

Tell us what you think!!!

]]> By: Deb McCollister http://www.returnplaytokids.com/2009/05/crisis-in-the-kindergarten-why-children-need-to-play-in-school/comment-page-1/#comment-3 Deb McCollister Sat, 06 Jun 2009 15:54:05 +0000 http://www.returnplaytokids.com/?p=47#comment-3 My own tale of mothering a 5 year old who was fascinated with counting and numbers shows that the misunderstanding about development vs. “academics” was at work almost 3 decades ago! I reported to my daughter’s Kindergarten teacher that she had an almost unquenchable hunger for numbers and math and that I could use more ideas on how to keep her interested and having fun. (My observation was based on her "need" to predict how many pancakes we would consume at breakfast, given the multiples she thought we’d each consume, or how many steps it would take to get upstairs if she could straddle two at a time vs. three at a time. Not quantum physics, but intriguing to a first time mom). The teacher solemnly reported to me a week later that my 5 year old had "failed" the test she administered to discern her math skills: a page of addition and subtraction facts! Clearly, she was not ready for real math. And all I wanted was games and play that captivated her already present interest! My own tale of mothering a 5 year old who was fascinated with counting and numbers shows that the misunderstanding about development vs. “academics” was at work almost 3 decades ago!

I reported to my daughter’s Kindergarten teacher that she had an almost unquenchable hunger for numbers and math and that I could use more ideas on how to keep her interested and having fun. (My observation was based on her “need” to predict how many pancakes we would consume at breakfast, given the multiples she thought we’d each consume, or how many steps it would take to get upstairs if she could straddle two at a time vs. three at a time. Not quantum physics, but intriguing to a first time mom).

The teacher solemnly reported to me a week later that my 5 year old had “failed” the test she administered to discern her math skills: a page of addition and subtraction facts! Clearly, she was not ready for real math. And all I wanted was games and play that captivated her already present interest!

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