PLAY IS LEARNING

WHEN YOUR CHILD BUILDS WITH BLOCKS:

She learns to use her imagination to create something
from her own thinking.
She has the satisfaction of being able to make
something.
She learns about sizes and shapes, weights and
balances, height and depth,smoothness and roughness.
She is exercising her body.
She learns to play with others.

WHEN YOUR CHILD PAINTS:

He is more concerned with the process he is going
through than with a finished product. This is how it
should be for this stage in his development.
He learns about colors and how he can use them.
He learns to use his imagination and transfers his
ideas to paper.
He gets emotional satisfaction from being able to
express himself.
He learns how to use small muscle coordination to
handle a brush.
He learns to make choices and decisions.

WHEN YOUR CHILD PLAYS ON THE OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT:

She learns how to use her body effectively.
She experiences joy in achieving a skill.
She has fun and relaxation found in bodily movement.
She learns the limitations of her body.
She learns safety and caution.
She learns to take turns and to share a piece of
equipment.

WHEN YOUR CHILD PLAYS IN THE HOUSEKEEPING CORNER:

He learns what the roles of mothers and fathers and
children are.He understands what it feels like to play at being
somebody other than himself.
He learns how to use his imagination.
He learns how to cooperate with other children.

WHEN YOUR CHILD MAKES A GIFT OUT OF PAPER AND PASTE:

She learns about doing things for others.
She learns how to use materials like scissors and
paste/glue.She learns how to use her imagination to make the kind
of present she has in mind. Again, the process, not the finished product,
is important to her. She learns about shapes, sizes, colors, and textures.

WHEN YOUR CHILD PLAYS IN THE SAND AND WATER:

He finds it soothing to bury his hands in sand or pour
water in and out of cups. He is able to relax with these types of media and
center his attention on a task. He has an opportunity to play alone and not have to
compete with other children as with some activities. This is especially
important to a child who has trouble getting along with others.
He has a great opportunity to learn about size and
measurement,experimenting with measuring spoons, cups and
different sized containers.He learns which kinds of things float in water.
He is not concerned with a final product so he does
not find it frustrating.

WHEN YOUR CHILD WORKS WITH PUZZLES:

She has an opportunity to work alone or together with
other children. She gains satisfaction in completing a puzzle and
builds her self-confidence She has an opportunity to improve her hand~eye
coordination. She will use skills learned in doing puzzles later
when she learns to read-putting letters to sounds, making words with
letters, and making stories with words.

WHEN YOUR CHILD LISTENS TO STORIES OR LOOKS AT BOOKS:

He learns to listen. He has an opportunity to increase his vocabulary by
hearing new words  read to him. He learns about different concepts, people and places.
He learns to enjoy books and reading.  His mind is stimulated, visualizing the things he is
hearing about.

WHEN YOUR CHILD COOKS:

She learns to follow directions.
She stimulates and uses all five senses.
She learns to recognize colors and shapes from
different kinds of foods and kitchen utensils.
She has an opportunity to use different tools and
equipment to improve small muscle coordination.

WHEN YOUR CHILD LISTENS TO MUSIC, SINGS OR DANCES:

He learns to appreciate music from different
countries, cultures, and  time periods.
He learns to express himself and his ideas.
He increases his vocabulary.
He gains satisfaction from participating in an
activity that can be fun, physical and/or enriching.

WHEN YOUR CHILD USES MANIPULATIVE ACTIVITIES:

She explores new concepts, practices emerging skills,
and reinforces skills already mastered.
She develops fine motor practice.
She learns about classifying, sorting, predicting,
problem solving, and analyzing results.
She develops her knowledge of the world around her
using real objects and concrete examples.
She learns how to learn.

WHEN YOUR CHILD USES TECHNOLOGY AND/OR COMPUTERS:

He learns how machines work and how they can help him
learn more. He practices hand~eye coordination using the mouse.
He is able to learn the processes necessary to use
technology. He learns how to express his ideas through technology
and share his ideas with others.

WHEN YOUR CHILD PLAYS WITH PUPPETS:

She is able to verbalize her feelings using words.
She can begin to understand the feelings of others.
She can role-play and perhaps find solutions to
situations that may disturb her.
She stretches her imagination.

Just Playing
When I'm building in the block room,
Please don't say I'm "just playing."
For, you see, I'm learning as I play.
About balance and shapes.

When I'm getting all dressed up,
Setting the table, caring for the babies.
Don't get the idea I'm "just playing."
For, you see, I'm learning as I play.
I may be a mother or a father someday.

When you see me up to my elbows in paint,
Or standing at an easel, or molding and shaping clay,
Please don't let me hear you say "he's just playing."
For you see, I'm learning as I play.
I'm expressing myself and being creative.
I may be an artist or an inventor someday.

When you see me sitting in a chair
"Reading" to an imaginary audience,
Please don't laugh and think I'm "just playing."
For, you see, I'm learning as I play.
I may be a teacher someday.

When you see me combing the bushes for bugs,
Or packing my pockets with choice things I find,
Don't pass it off as "just playing."
For, you see, I'm learning as I play.
I may be a scientist someday.

When you see me engrossed in a puzzle,
Or some "plaything" at my school,
Please don't feel the time is wasted in "play"
For, you see, I'm learning as I play.
I'm learning to solve problems and concentrate.
I may be in business someday.

When you see me cooking or tasting foods,
Please don't think that because I enjoy it, it is just "play."
I'm learning to follow directions and see differences.
I may be a chef someday.

When you see me learning to skip, hop, run and move my body,
Please don't say I'm "just playing."
For, you see, I'm learning as I play.
I'm learning how my body works.
I may be a doctor, nurse or athlete someday.

When you ask me what I've done at school today,
And I say, "I played."
Please don't misunderstand me.
For, you see, I'm learning as I play.
I'm learning to enjoy and be successful in work.
I'm preparing for tomorrow.
Today, I'm a child and my work is play.

How We Learn

10% of what we read
20% of what we hear
30% of what we see
50% of what we see and hear
70% of what we discuss with others
80%of what we experience personally
95% of what we teach someone else to do

Psychiatrist, author and researcher, Dr. William Glasser says this is how we learn.