How and why encouraging play is critical for nurturing the next generation
You may have read about play-based learning, seen posts on it and have heard an increasing number of pre-schools in Lagos advocate it. Are you considering taking the bold step to embrace this new approach to learning for your little one?
Chidinma Moses | KEY academy contributor
Do you wonder if a play-based approach can be applied to learning, especially in Nigeria, where the value placed on traditional education is huge? Or perhaps you are coming across this for the first time? Whatever the case is, I urge you to read on as I aim to provide more insight into this learning approach, perhaps answer some of your questions and concerns or at an absolute minimum, leave you with food for thought!
I grew up thinking play was some kind of ‘reward’. Something that is done after all the “real learning” has been done or chores are finished. Play and learning did not go hand in hand. I never associated play with learning as a child — in fact not until I started a career in education.
Although I do recall memories of me playing with neighbours in parks and classmates during school break periods, but I have very few memories of play that took place within the four walls of my primary school.
Yet, it is amazing that even with the absence of play in many of our childhoods, we still grew up with a desire to continue to play, and as adults we still yearn for it. The dictionary definition of play is “a range of voluntary, intrinsically motivated activities done for recreational pleasure and enjoyment’’. You see, this definition is not limited to children alone! We all play throughout our lives in some shape or form, however, the importance of play, especially during early childhood is significant. The Playwork Principles developed by the Playwork Scrutiny Group defined play as “a process that is freely chosen, personally directed and intrinsically motivated.” The framework also states, “the impulse to play is innate because it is a biological and psychological necessity and is fundamental to the healthy development and wellbeing of individuals and communities.”
Over the last 30 years, many researchers, scientists and psychologists have concluded that the most important period of human development is from birth until approximately eight years old. During this time, a large proportion of the human developmental process takes place including cognitive skills, emotional well-being, social competence and physical and mental health. Armed with this knowledge and understanding, and with research at our fingertips, we need to think more deeply about the way we are educating our children. We need to consider approaches to education that help to build a strong foundation for healthy development well into the adult years that better prepare our children for the world in which they are growing up.
Beyond play being a vital component for a fun, fulfilling and magical childhood, much of the learning that is crucial to whole child development takes place during play. Play takes many forms. It is usually considered joyful, meaningful, iterative, actively engaging and socially interactive. These different forms of play help children cut across different learning areas almost at the same time. In a 2015 article by the Atlantic, pre-school teacher Anni-Kaisa Osei Ntiamoah explained “Children learn so well through play… They don’t even realise that they are learning because they are so interested.”
Pre-schoolers have so many interests at such a young age — they are like blank slates learning to embrace their environment and taking in all the knowledge and understanding of their world. Children in the early years often thrive in learning environments that involve some form of engagement with nature, people and (you guessed it) …. PLAY! Children learn best when learning is experiential, when they can get their hands dirty and when their whole body and five senses are fully engaged.
Just as Dr. Craig Bach, vice president of education of The Goddard School, said in a 2013 sheknows article “Playful learning supports academic outcomes and also supports positive associations with learning that help children become successful, happy, lifelong learners.” Bach went further to say “Play is an especially important aspect of learning at early ages due to the plasticity of the child’s brain — however, all of the characteristics of play are key components of learning at later ages as well.”
A play-based approach to learning will state that children should be given the time, space and opportunities to be children and enjoy their childhood and so encourages child autonomy, where children are allowed to lead the learning method for themselves. Simply put, children are given the opportunity to self-direct their play and respond to their environment and learn much more than we could ever imagine all the while developing emotionally, mentally and academically.
After a long search for solutions to the world’s educational challenges in both developed and developing countries, scientists have teamed up with educators, parents and organisations to spread the need for a change in the approach we use to educate young children. A country worthy of emulation when it comes to their education sector is Finland. The Finnish education model considers play-based learning as a success strategy — they have achieved phenomenal results. Finland recognises that play has so many benefits in learning. Play and movement give children a sense of independence and freedom.
Arja-Sisko Holappa, a counsellor for the Finnish National Board of Education and a leader of the country’s pre-primary core curriculum, stated “Play is a very efficient way of learning for children. And we can use it in a way that children will learn with joy. There’s an old Finnish saying: those things you learn without joy, you will forget easily.”
The LEGO Group, in partnership with UNICEF, launched a campaign in September 2016 to highlight the need for and importance of play in every child’s learning development. “Play is not just a fun diversion,” said Mirjam Schöning, Head of Programme at the LEGO Foundation. “A growing body of evidence shows the importance of play in reducing anxiety as well as learning essential skills for our changing society, such as communication, collaboration and creative problem-solving.
Education started as a system to transfer information from a more knowledgeable person to a less knowledgeable person, and we’ve been at this for years. While at it, we lost the right to learn from our environment and our communities. To learn based on our interests and passions. To learn naturally and direct our own learning.
For many of us, our curiosity was dampened because our well-meaning parents and family members thought that as a singer we were noisy; as an artist we were wasting resources; as a dancer we didn’t know how to sit still; or as an entrepreneur, we were simply “not serious about getting a proper job”. In fairness, they didn’t know better — the information and research wasn’t freely available and so they did what they knew best… stuck with the status quo and maintained the blueprint for “success” that many before them had taken.
However, we are now in an information age — the information is out there. The research has been proven. It’s not enough to say “well it worked for me, so why reinvent the wheel?” The notion of instructing or forcing children to conform to a specific pattern of learning is fast changing and, as educators, parents, carers and communities we owe it to our future generations to make more informed decisions about their education.
Written by Chidinma Moses (KEY academy contributor)
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