Child's Play is the key to learning.

During my many years of being a pre-school teaching, parents wanted their children to be challenged above their abilities.  One parent that I will never forget expected me to teach her 3 year old daughter algebra. When did algebra become a developmentally appropriate practice in a 3 year old classroom? Of course that expectation lead to a class newsletter explaining the importance of play and the connection of emergent math skills. 

Emergent mathematical think is defined as thinking logically, solving  problems, and perceiving relationships.  In pre-school classrooms emergent math skills are practiced by:

• Sequencing patterns - strining beads
• Measuring - place measuring cups in the sand & water table
• Sorting and classifying - seperate uncooked noodles by color and/or size
• Graphs - discuss who is wearing a blue, pink, green, shirt and graph leave out on display for farther discussion
• Estimating - jelly beans in a jar.
• Predicting (probability) - ask, "what do you think will happen next?" open-ended questions

During play children are building social and emotional skills. They make choices, solve problems, talk with their peers, and negotiate.  They often "work-out" emotional aspects of difficult experiences. As they take on roles in pretend play, they are growing tin their ability to see situations from another's perspective.

Children are motivated in play situations to regulate their behavior, in order to remain in play situations.  The follow the rules that are developed by the group for the play situation. Children build their self-regulation skills.

Most play is interactive, providing situations where children tend to demostrate higher language levels, greater problem - solving skills, longer attention spans, and greater empathy and cooperation.

Play is an important vehicle for children's social, emotional, and cognitive development, as well as a reflection of their development. It supports their development, as well as offering adults an oppourtinity to observe their development.

1.  Play is supportive of chldren's learning since children's learning happens when they are actively engaged with their environment.
2. Play gives children opportunities to understand the world and interact with others.
3. Play gives adults the opportunity to observe children's development and to plan for supporting that development.
4. Play is a context in which children can practice newly acquired skills, to function on the edge of their developing capabilities, and to solve problems.
5. Sociodramatic play is particulary important for young children.

Programs that use play as the center of their program are more likely to get the best results with young children.

If you looking for on-line continued education course, check out The Heritage Institute at http://www.hol.edu  I teach a course titled Keeping Children Engage.