Learning Through Play

All they do is play. This is a statement that I’ve heard many times while working in the classroom. This is a big compliment, because the statement says that we are doing a good job at making learning fun. Play is a child’s work.  It is our job to integrate learning in the midst of their work. It takes content knowledge and intentionality to turn play into an opportunity for learning. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children; valued content is learned through investigation, play, and focused, intentional teaching. Children learn by exploring, thinking about, and inquiring about all sorts of phenomena. These experiences help children investigate ‘big ideas,' those that are important at any age and are connected to later learning. (2003, 2) Project work allows us to extend this play into many content areas. For example, this year’s kindergarten class showed an interest in restaurants. The teachers took this observed interest and built many opportunities for the children to learn through play. Creating a menu allowed for social development as the children worked together to decide on food items for their restaurant, decided what jobs were necessary and who had which responsibilities.  Literacy concepts were added as the children wrote up the menus and then the customer orders. Deciding how much each item cost got the children thinking about math concepts, gave them meaningful opportunities to write number symbols, and introduced addition. Identifying money was also a focus as the customers paid for the food that they had ordered. All of this learning took place in the context of a democratic environment in which everyone worked together. Good Eats, the restaurant’s name, was a good opportunity to learn by playing.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

March is Reading Month! As I reflect on the past; both as a parent and an educator, I am filled with many warm thoughts of snuggling next to a child with the intention of sharing a book.  Unlike most of my guilty pleasures, reading aloud is a good thing—both for me and for those who hear the story.  Reading aloud allows an opportunity for connections. Adults and children are given time to build relationships and connect while reading together. Hearing the rich language written in a storybook also provides experiences that hardwire the brain; a connection that encourages later school success.

As if that wasn’t enough, there’s much more! According to research compiled by Read-Aloud Handbook author  Jim Trelease, reading aloud to your child also:

• Increases vocabulary
• Improves attention span
• Stimulates imagination and creativity
• Nurtures social-emotional development
• Improves critical thinking and problem solving skills
• Encourages self-esteem

Just imagine, every time you pick up a book and snuggle up with your child to share a story, you increase the probability of all of these skills! It almost sounds too good to be true—but it isn’t—so let me share a few of the secrets to success that I’ve learned over the years.

Make sure that you choose a book that lends itself to being read aloud and make sure that you like it. There is nothing worse than getting stuck reading a book that you don’t like over and over. Remember, you are in charge of the choices. Pick two that you enjoy and let your child pick from them.

Share the pictures while you read. Who holds the book is between both of you as long as your child can see the illustrations while you read the text. A book worth its merit has pictures that add details to the story that you wouldn’t get by just reading the words. “Reading” the pictures to tell the story is the first step in emergent reading, so let them look!

Add variety to reading time and change things up. Take turns “reading” the book; you can look at the words and your child can read the pictures. Ask them to predict what is going to happen next. Ask them questions that can be answered by reading the illustrations. Take turns holding the book, turning the pages, or running your fingers under the words as they are read. These choices serve to model book concepts as well as empowering your emergent reader.

Read with expression! The best part of reading aloud with children is the chance to be silly. Change your voice to match the character. Make a dramatic pause. You’ll be surprised how much of the story that they remember when it sounds interesting.

Finally, make reading a ritual; like brushing your teeth. Sit somewhere comfortable, prop yourselves up with pillows, dim the lights and turn on a cozy reading lamp. Make reading a special time so that you both look forward to it. Reading aloud is to the brain as eating a healthy dinner is to the body; so make it a part of your daily habit!