‘The importance of playful learning for children cannot be overemphasized.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics, 2018.
I have been a children doctor and medical educator in the United States of America since the early 1970s. I have kept up with the children health and development literature. A few days ago I read a book titled “Let the Children Play” (Oxford University Press, 2019) by two education experts from Harvard University, professors Sahlberg and Doyle. The book is superbly documented. Out of total of 445 pages 75 pages are the appendix. The book has been written for parents, educators and policy makers. I was very impressed by the ideas expressed in the book. The present article is my brief take-away lessons from the book.
“Extensive scientific evidence demonstrates that regular physical activity promotes growth and development in youth and has multiple benefits for physical, mental, and cognitive health. Physical activity is related to lower body fat, greater muscular strength, stronger bones, and improvements in mental health by reducing and preventing conditions such as anxiety and depression and enhancing self-esteem.”
– National Academy of Medicine( USA), 2013
“Children who are more active show greater attention, have faster cognitive processing speed, and perform better on standardized academic tests than children who are less active”
– National Academy of Medicine(USA),2013
Play is the ultimate 21st century skills booster
What does your child need to succeed in life?
No one knows for sure.
There is no question that children need to learn the basics of subjects like math, language, science, and the arts. According the World Economic Forum(2016), the top 10 skills they need to learn are: complex problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, people management, coordinating with others, emotional intelligence, judgment and decision making, service orientation, negotiation, and cognitive flexibility.
The idea that play is essential in school can seem like a startling counterintuitive concept. But it is essential. We all want our children to be smart and successful. It is reasonable to think that you can set children up to succeed by minimizing play and working them real hard. But lots of studies show that free play conducted largely by the children themselves-must be an important part of learning.
Doctor’s orders: The children must play
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is the leading professional organization of children doctors in the Unites States. It is the group that establishes pediatric policy on wide range of critical children’s health issues like, immunizations, screen time, car safety, and breast feeding.
In a series of land mark research based clinical reports issued from 2007 to 2018, the AAP strongly recommends that in order to learn, children must have plenty of play- in school, at home and in the community.
This is what America’s pediatricians say about learning and play.
1. Play is integral to a child’s education. The importance of playtime cannot be overephasized to parents, schools, and community organizations.
2. The benefits of play are extensive and well documented and include improvements in executive functioning, language, early math skills, social development, peer relations, physical development and health, and self-esteem.
3.The most effective ways for parents to prepare children for a happy, successful adulthood are not shuttling them between numerous activities or scheduling multiple extracurricular or academic commitments but showing unconditional love; spending pleasurable time together; playing with children; listening, talking, and reading to children even at very early ages; and guiding them through effective and developmentally appropriate discipline.
4. The most effective way of developing children’s academic preparedness may be low-cost time spent reading with parents.
5. Free play is essential part of childhood. Much play should be child driven instead of adult directed, and active play rather than passive entertainment like TV and computer games.
6. Unstructured play outdoor in nature- among dirt, trees, grass, rocks, flowers, and insects – offers children creative inspiration and physical and emotional benefits.
7. Recess is necessary break in the day for optimizing a child’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. Recess should never be withheld as a punishment.
8. All children should get at least 60 minutes per day of recess time, outdoor when possible, and at least 30 minutes of physical education per day in elementary school and 45 minutes per day in middle and high school.
9. Schools should be safe and enjoyable for children. All children including lower-income children should receive a healthy meal, recess, physical education and the arts so that they can achieve their highest potential for cognitive, physical, and social development.
10. Parents should read to their children from very early age.
Conclusion
A strong scientific and medical consensus confirms that children at home, in school and in the community need to play. Free play and guided play, will help a child in learning and develop her/his social, emotional and cognitive development. Every school should be well funded by the government to provide healthy meals, manageable small class sizes, physical activity, a full curriculum including the arts, and regular assessments by fully qualified professional teachers.
(Source: Pasi Sahlberg and William Doyle, Let Children Play. New York: Oxford University Press, 2019.)