Play boosts a huge range of social and emotional abilities, including language, social skills, empathy, imagination, curiosity and problem-solving.
Not only that, play is key to the ‘vestibular’ system, which builds balance and coordination, as well as spatial awareness, eye movements, muscle tone, timing and nervous system regulation, which affects kids’ ability to manage their emotions and pay attention, says Chloe O’Connor, a paediatric occupational therapist at Amazing Kids OT in Geelong. Cells in the inner ear activate the vestibular system, and kids need to move their heads for it to develop.
“Children who are ‘always on the go’ need more movement opportunities throughout their day,” says Chloe. “I always start with a movement-based activity. If a child wants to roll down the ramp six times or have a swing before we start, I encourage this. I know that this may help the child to participate in our structured activity of cutting, because he is regulating his nervous system. When children leave the clinic, they tell me their ‘bodies are feeling good’ and walk out calm and happy.”
Early Academics – Too Much, Too Soon?
Educators distinguish between free play (child-directed) and ‘playful learning’ (guided by teachers). “Both types are very, very valuable,” says Sharon Kneen, owner of three ‘Excellent’-rated Eskay Kids childcare centres in Brisbane and Ipswich, and a prominent advocate for play-based learning. Children at her centres play all day, and mostly choose when to play inside or outside.
“I will keep fighting against the academic push-down,” says Sharon. “Early academics is really detrimental. When the Queensland Government introduced the Prep year, our four and five-year-old preschoolers, who used to have a life full of play, started getting home-readers and sight words. The kids think they can’t do it, when they’re just not developmentally ready.”
EARLY PLAY IS MORE IMPORTANT FOR BUILDING THE COGNITIVE SKILLS NEEDED TO LEARN TO READ THAN READING ITSELF.
According to the Crisis in the Kindergarten report by the Alliance for Childhood. A group of US researchers has called for children to arrive “at the starting line of first grade ready and able to learn”, not able to read.
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