Open Discussion Forum

Hi all,

I am part of a team teaching 4 years olds, I am the newest member of the team and I believe that play should be at the center of the early childhood curriculum. I have been teaching for many years but this is the first time I have come up against such great resistance to play.

I thought my fellow teachers believed the same, but it turns out they are not on the same page.

I want to show my fellow teachers that what is learned through play can not be replaced by filling in a worksheet. Even if the worksheet is filled in by a team. I want to talk with them about the importance of free choice play and how this can be loud, and messy and wonderful. That play can be intentional with a learning purpose and doesn't need to result in a product.

I would love some quotes, links to articles etc. or even just support that what I am trying to achieve is not all in vain!

Thanks,


------------------------------
Kat
FL
------------------------------

Hi!

I suggest that you ask questions like 'What are the learning goals?' Then, say 'oh great! I can use play-based-learning in the block by adding this and that! I will station myself near the block area to guide the play, reinforce the goals, and observe as assessment. ' Tailored, of course, to the situation. Basically, demonstrate how play-based-learning is academic, as well as fun.

Also, is your center NAEYC? Because worksheets are not age-appropriate per NAEYC. Provide lots of resources with' I read this really good article... Did you see it? '

Demonstrate the power of play without being confrontational.

Good luck! 

------------------------------
Michele Liberty
Mount Olivet Preschool
Arlington VA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-27-2017 05:25 PM
From: Kathryn Smith Rouse
Subject: Need support in encouraging play with other educators

Hi all,

I am part of a team teaching 4 years olds, I am the newest member of the team and I believe that play should be at the center of the early childhood curriculum. I have been teaching for many years but this is the first time I have come up against such great resistance to play.

I thought my fellow teachers believed the same, but it turns out they are not on the same page.

I want to show my fellow teachers that what is learned through play can not be replaced by filling in a worksheet. Even if the worksheet is filled in by a team. I want to talk with them about the importance of free choice play and how this can be loud, and messy and wonderful. That play can be intentional with a learning purpose and doesn't need to result in a product.

I would love some quotes, links to articles etc. or even just support that what I am trying to achieve is not all in vain!

Thanks,


------------------------------
Kat
FL
------------------------------

Hi Kathryn,

I just watched this video. The voices of teachers share powerful messages about the value of play. New York State's Crisis in Early Education - Teachers Speak Out

YouTube		remove preview
New York State's Crisis in Early Education - Teachers Speak Out In the summer of 2017, a group of public school early educators got together to discuss the importance of play and to ask, are NYS learning standards and education policy putting developmentally appropriate practice at risk? Learn more at PlayMattersNYS.wordpress.com View this on YouTube >

------------------------------
Kimberly Tice
Ohio AEYC
Mount Gilead OH
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-27-2017 05:25 PM
From: Kathryn Smith Rouse
Subject: Need support in encouraging play with other educators

Hi all,

I am part of a team teaching 4 years olds, I am the newest member of the team and I believe that play should be at the center of the early childhood curriculum. I have been teaching for many years but this is the first time I have come up against such great resistance to play.

I thought my fellow teachers believed the same, but it turns out they are not on the same page.

I want to show my fellow teachers that what is learned through play can not be replaced by filling in a worksheet. Even if the worksheet is filled in by a team. I want to talk with them about the importance of free choice play and how this can be loud, and messy and wonderful. That play can be intentional with a learning purpose and doesn't need to result in a product.

I would love some quotes, links to articles etc. or even just support that what I am trying to achieve is not all in vain!

Thanks,


------------------------------
Kat
FL
------------------------------

Thanks for Sharing this video Kim! I am working with several districts as they try to wrap their current knowledge around a play based curriculum in primary grades. It will be a useful resource in my presentation!

PS hope you are doing well!

------------------------------
Rose Snyder [Designation]
Elizabethtown PA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-28-2017 07:17 AM
From: Kimberly Tice
Subject: Need support in encouraging play with other educators

Hi Kathryn,

I just watched this video. The voices of teachers share powerful messages about the value of play. New York State's Crisis in Early Education - Teachers Speak Out

YouTube		remove preview
New York State's Crisis in Early Education - Teachers Speak Out In the summer of 2017, a group of public school early educators got together to discuss the importance of play and to ask, are NYS learning standards and education policy putting developmentally appropriate practice at risk? Learn more at PlayMattersNYS.wordpress.com View this on YouTube >

------------------------------
Kimberly Tice
Ohio AEYC
Mount Gilead OH

Original Message:
Sent: 08-27-2017 05:25 PM
From: Kathryn Smith Rouse
Subject: Need support in encouraging play with other educators

Hi all,

I am part of a team teaching 4 years olds, I am the newest member of the team and I believe that play should be at the center of the early childhood curriculum. I have been teaching for many years but this is the first time I have come up against such great resistance to play.

I thought my fellow teachers believed the same, but it turns out they are not on the same page.

I want to show my fellow teachers that what is learned through play can not be replaced by filling in a worksheet. Even if the worksheet is filled in by a team. I want to talk with them about the importance of free choice play and how this can be loud, and messy and wonderful. That play can be intentional with a learning purpose and doesn't need to result in a product.

I would love some quotes, links to articles etc. or even just support that what I am trying to achieve is not all in vain!

Thanks,


------------------------------
Kat
FL
------------------------------

The video and picture reminded me of this from an OLD NAEYC Young Children magazine.

------------------------------
Joseph Appleton
Dayton VA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-29-2017 09:36 AM
From: Rose Snyder
Subject: Need support in encouraging play with other educators

Thanks for Sharing this video Kim! I am working with several districts as they try to wrap their current knowledge around a play based curriculum in primary grades. It will be a useful resource in my presentation!

PS hope you are doing well!

------------------------------
Rose Snyder [Designation]
Elizabethtown PA

Original Message:
Sent: 08-28-2017 07:17 AM
From: Kimberly Tice
Subject: Need support in encouraging play with other educators

Hi Kathryn,

I just watched this video. The voices of teachers share powerful messages about the value of play. New York State's Crisis in Early Education - Teachers Speak Out

YouTube		remove preview
New York State's Crisis in Early Education - Teachers Speak Out In the summer of 2017, a group of public school early educators got together to discuss the importance of play and to ask, are NYS learning standards and education policy putting developmentally appropriate practice at risk? Learn more at PlayMattersNYS.wordpress.com View this on YouTube >

------------------------------
Kimberly Tice
Ohio AEYC
Mount Gilead OH

Original Message:
Sent: 08-27-2017 05:25 PM
From: Kathryn Smith Rouse
Subject: Need support in encouraging play with other educators

Hi all,

I am part of a team teaching 4 years olds, I am the newest member of the team and I believe that play should be at the center of the early childhood curriculum. I have been teaching for many years but this is the first time I have come up against such great resistance to play.

I thought my fellow teachers believed the same, but it turns out they are not on the same page.

I want to show my fellow teachers that what is learned through play can not be replaced by filling in a worksheet. Even if the worksheet is filled in by a team. I want to talk with them about the importance of free choice play and how this can be loud, and messy and wonderful. That play can be intentional with a learning purpose and doesn't need to result in a product.

I would love some quotes, links to articles etc. or even just support that what I am trying to achieve is not all in vain!

Thanks,


------------------------------
Kat
FL
------------------------------

I would echo what was said above about approaching it from the point of learning goals.  My suspicion is that your colleagues are concerned about free play being a free-for-all rather than learning.  If that is the case, then you could also be sure that the play is guided by the types of materials provided for the children, and be sure to indicate what vocabulary you would use related to themes/units that you might be doing.  Yes, we know free play is important, but guided play can help others see how learning can take place.  I'm not saying that you tell the children what to play or even how to play it, but that you structure the play by talking with the children at circle/group time about your topic/theme and then provide materials for children's play that enhance that topic/theme.  For example, if you are doing a unit on "My Community", then dramatic play becomes transformed into a store, bank, fire station, etc., where children can play the roles of community members.  Books and puzzles could also reflect the topic and enhance vocabulary.  Again, guided play may not replace free choice play, but it should be the majority of the play time offered.  When your colleagues see that you have incorporated plans for learning, then they may be more willing to shift to a play-based format.

------------------------------
Linda Taylor
Muncie IN
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-27-2017 05:25 PM
From: Kathryn Smith Rouse
Subject: Need support in encouraging play with other educators

Hi all,

I am part of a team teaching 4 years olds, I am the newest member of the team and I believe that play should be at the center of the early childhood curriculum. I have been teaching for many years but this is the first time I have come up against such great resistance to play.

I thought my fellow teachers believed the same, but it turns out they are not on the same page.

I want to show my fellow teachers that what is learned through play can not be replaced by filling in a worksheet. Even if the worksheet is filled in by a team. I want to talk with them about the importance of free choice play and how this can be loud, and messy and wonderful. That play can be intentional with a learning purpose and doesn't need to result in a product.

I would love some quotes, links to articles etc. or even just support that what I am trying to achieve is not all in vain!

Thanks,


------------------------------
Kat
FL
------------------------------

Kathryn, here's a link to a podcast (just 10 minutes) that will help you advocate for play as a learning tool: http://www.bamradionetwork.com/student-centric-strategies/4457-play-and-learning-still-misunderstood. But, even as I write that I can't believe I need to. Why is it that we must continue to defend play for children?!

------------------------------
Rae Pica
Speaker/Author/Consultant/Radio Host
Rae Pica Keynotes & Consulting
Alexandria VA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-27-2017 05:25 PM
From: Kathryn Smith Rouse
Subject: Need support in encouraging play with other educators

Hi all,

I am part of a team teaching 4 years olds, I am the newest member of the team and I believe that play should be at the center of the early childhood curriculum. I have been teaching for many years but this is the first time I have come up against such great resistance to play.

I thought my fellow teachers believed the same, but it turns out they are not on the same page.

I want to show my fellow teachers that what is learned through play can not be replaced by filling in a worksheet. Even if the worksheet is filled in by a team. I want to talk with them about the importance of free choice play and how this can be loud, and messy and wonderful. That play can be intentional with a learning purpose and doesn't need to result in a product.

I would love some quotes, links to articles etc. or even just support that what I am trying to achieve is not all in vain!

Thanks,


------------------------------
Kat
FL
------------------------------

​Attached is a cute picture I often give to parents to describe our program, Hope it can work for you.
Hannah

------------------------------
Hannah Markowitz
Be'Above Head Start
Richmond Hill NY
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-27-2017 05:25 PM
From: Kathryn Smith Rouse
Subject: Need support in encouraging play with other educators

Hi all,

I am part of a team teaching 4 years olds, I am the newest member of the team and I believe that play should be at the center of the early childhood curriculum. I have been teaching for many years but this is the first time I have come up against such great resistance to play.

I thought my fellow teachers believed the same, but it turns out they are not on the same page.

I want to show my fellow teachers that what is learned through play can not be replaced by filling in a worksheet. Even if the worksheet is filled in by a team. I want to talk with them about the importance of free choice play and how this can be loud, and messy and wonderful. That play can be intentional with a learning purpose and doesn't need to result in a product.

I would love some quotes, links to articles etc. or even just support that what I am trying to achieve is not all in vain!

Thanks,


------------------------------
Kat
FL
------------------------------

Hannah, thanks for sharing the picture. I recall seeing it a few years ago, but subsequently lost track of it. Along the same lines, I once visited a Head Start classroom in Pittsburgh that used small signs throughout the classroom briefly describing the learning opportunities in each area. They enhanced parent knowledge about both the value of play as well as the learning goals for various activities. The signs were also a means of encouraging staff to up their game on how they talked to children and parents about the activities.

------------------------------
Jerlean Daniel
Co-Chair NAEYC Black Caucus
Stoney Beach MD
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-28-2017 10:52 AM
From: Hannah Markowitz
Subject: Need support in encouraging play with other educators

​Attached is a cute picture I often give to parents to describe our program, Hope it can work for you.
Hannah

------------------------------
Hannah Markowitz
Be'Above Head Start
Richmond Hill NY

Original Message:
Sent: 08-27-2017 05:25 PM
From: Kathryn Smith Rouse
Subject: Need support in encouraging play with other educators

Hi all,

I am part of a team teaching 4 years olds, I am the newest member of the team and I believe that play should be at the center of the early childhood curriculum. I have been teaching for many years but this is the first time I have come up against such great resistance to play.

I thought my fellow teachers believed the same, but it turns out they are not on the same page.

I want to show my fellow teachers that what is learned through play can not be replaced by filling in a worksheet. Even if the worksheet is filled in by a team. I want to talk with them about the importance of free choice play and how this can be loud, and messy and wonderful. That play can be intentional with a learning purpose and doesn't need to result in a product.

I would love some quotes, links to articles etc. or even just support that what I am trying to achieve is not all in vain!

Thanks,


------------------------------
Kat
FL
------------------------------

Original Message------

Hannah, thanks for sharing the picture. I recall seeing it a few years ago, but subsequently lost track of it. Along the same lines, I once visited a Head Start classroom in Pittsburgh that used small signs throughout the classroom briefly describing the learning opportunities in each area. They enhanced parent knowledge about both the value of play as well as the learning goals for various activities. The signs were also a means of encouraging staff to up their game on how they talked to children and parents about the activities.

------------------------------
Jerlean Daniel
Co-Chair NAEYC Black Caucus
Stoney Beach MD
------------------------------

Original Message------

Hi all,

I am part of a team teaching 4 years olds, I am the newest member of the team and I believe that play should be at the center of the early childhood curriculum. I have been teaching for many years but this is the first time I have come up against such great resistance to play.

I thought my fellow teachers believed the same, but it turns out they are not on the same page.

I want to show my fellow teachers that what is learned through play can not be replaced by filling in a worksheet. Even if the worksheet is filled in by a team. I want to talk with them about the importance of free choice play and how this can be loud, and messy and wonderful. That play can be intentional with a learning purpose and doesn't need to result in a product.

I would love some quotes, links to articles etc. or even just support that what I am trying to achieve is not all in vain!

Thanks,


------------------------------
Kat
FL
------------------------------

Hi!
There have been some great responses related to Play based learning. I'd like to recommend a newly published book "Saving Play Addressing Standards through Play-Based Learning in Preschool and Kindergarten". I've read this book and think it could be a great book study for your team. I found the book to be engaging, thought provoking, and full of info that relates to play-based learning with young children.

Redleaf Press : Saving Play: Addressing Standards through Play-Based Learning in Preschool and Kindergarten

Redleafpress		remove preview
Redleaf Press : Saving Play: Addressing Standards through Play-Based Learning in Preschool and Kindergarten Saving Play: Addressing Standards through Play-Based Learning in Preschool and Kindergarteb by Gaye Gronlund and Thomas Rendon examines how learning standards and high-quality play can work together. View this on Redleafpress >

------------------------------
Mary Airy
Governing Board Past President
Iowa AEYC
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
319-560-3761
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-27-2017 05:25 PM
From: Kathryn Smith Rouse
Subject: Need support in encouraging play with other educators

Hi all,

I am part of a team teaching 4 years olds, I am the newest member of the team and I believe that play should be at the center of the early childhood curriculum. I have been teaching for many years but this is the first time I have come up against such great resistance to play.

I thought my fellow teachers believed the same, but it turns out they are not on the same page.

I want to show my fellow teachers that what is learned through play can not be replaced by filling in a worksheet. Even if the worksheet is filled in by a team. I want to talk with them about the importance of free choice play and how this can be loud, and messy and wonderful. That play can be intentional with a learning purpose and doesn't need to result in a product.

I would love some quotes, links to articles etc. or even just support that what I am trying to achieve is not all in vain!

Thanks,


------------------------------
Kat
FL
------------------------------

Hello! Attached are some resources, quick descriptions below. Courtesy of one of my colleagues in our Early Childhood department!

Play and Development

A really great resource from the Minnesota Children's Museum that covers types of play, benefits of play, and developmental implications over time. Alludes to and cites a lot of really great/classic research articles about play for further reading

Learning through Play

Discusses the types of play seen across development and the implications each type has on children's concurrently developing social and cognitive skills

I Made a Unicorn

Discusses various types of materials-based open-ended play (e.g. small blocks, nature-based materials, forts) and their importance in children's development.

Promoting Creativity for Life Using Open-Ended Materials

Discusses the importance of creativity and open-ended play as it relates to important developmental skills such as resiliency, social skills, and pattern/relationship recognition 

------------------------------
Janna Doherty
Museum of Science
Boston MA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-28-2017 12:05 PM
From: Mary Airy
Subject: Need support in encouraging play with other educators

Hi!
There have been some great responses related to Play based learning. I'd like to recommend a newly published book "Saving Play Addressing Standards through Play-Based Learning in Preschool and Kindergarten". I've read this book and think it could be a great book study for your team. I found the book to be engaging, thought provoking, and full of info that relates to play-based learning with young children.

Redleaf Press : Saving Play: Addressing Standards through Play-Based Learning in Preschool and Kindergarten

Redleafpress		remove preview
Redleaf Press : Saving Play: Addressing Standards through Play-Based Learning in Preschool and Kindergarten Saving Play: Addressing Standards through Play-Based Learning in Preschool and Kindergarteb by Gaye Gronlund and Thomas Rendon examines how learning standards and high-quality play can work together. View this on Redleafpress >

------------------------------
Mary Airy
Governing Board Past President
Iowa AEYC
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
319-560-3761

Original Message:
Sent: 08-27-2017 05:25 PM
From: Kathryn Smith Rouse
Subject: Need support in encouraging play with other educators

Hi all,

I am part of a team teaching 4 years olds, I am the newest member of the team and I believe that play should be at the center of the early childhood curriculum. I have been teaching for many years but this is the first time I have come up against such great resistance to play.

I thought my fellow teachers believed the same, but it turns out they are not on the same page.

I want to show my fellow teachers that what is learned through play can not be replaced by filling in a worksheet. Even if the worksheet is filled in by a team. I want to talk with them about the importance of free choice play and how this can be loud, and messy and wonderful. That play can be intentional with a learning purpose and doesn't need to result in a product.

I would love some quotes, links to articles etc. or even just support that what I am trying to achieve is not all in vain!

Thanks,


------------------------------
Kat
FL
------------------------------

You've touched on a sensitive issue for me as an educator. I am with you 100%! I was just in conversation with my County's Early Childhood training person, and we discussed the importance of families seeking the "right" childcare center for both their own and their child's needs. I spoke of my own need, as an educator, to identify local childcare centers that fit my own needs as an educator. My first suggestion to you is to go back over your center's Policies & Procedures and Curriculum Guide, which must include its education philosophy. Doing so may inform you of what the purpose of this center is - is it guided by the children's interests, which is always to play, or is it guided towards academic achievement?

From there you will then be able to first determine if you've landed in the right spot to support the natural inclination for children to learn through play, and remind your colleagues of this, or that you've got to seek a childcare center that has this education philosophy.

Play-based learning is a sound pedagogy, and I am more than happy to share a multitude of resources if you need them. Start with anything written by David Sobel, who promotes place-based education which is a majority of play outdoors. Also, see if you can open this Abstract (which tests the hypothesis that social skills are as valuable to academic success as cognitive skills are) in your browser:



I hope my suggestions help you.



Best,
Mary

------------------------------
Mary Russell
Journeys Out Yonder
Boulder CO
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-27-2017 05:25 PM
From: Kathryn Smith Rouse
Subject: Need support in encouraging play with other educators

Hi all,

I am part of a team teaching 4 years olds, I am the newest member of the team and I believe that play should be at the center of the early childhood curriculum. I have been teaching for many years but this is the first time I have come up against such great resistance to play.

I thought my fellow teachers believed the same, but it turns out they are not on the same page.

I want to show my fellow teachers that what is learned through play can not be replaced by filling in a worksheet. Even if the worksheet is filled in by a team. I want to talk with them about the importance of free choice play and how this can be loud, and messy and wonderful. That play can be intentional with a learning purpose and doesn't need to result in a product.

I would love some quotes, links to articles etc. or even just support that what I am trying to achieve is not all in vain!

Thanks,


------------------------------
Kat
FL
------------------------------

Thank you all for fantastic resources!

I was feeling quite despondent about their reactions but know I feel I can respond appropriately.

My breath was taken away when I had to defend play in early childhood....

------------------------------
Kat
FL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-28-2017 04:14 PM
From: Mary Russell
Subject: Need support in encouraging play with other educators

You've touched on a sensitive issue for me as an educator. I am with you 100%! I was just in conversation with my County's Early Childhood training person, and we discussed the importance of families seeking the "right" childcare center for both their own and their child's needs. I spoke of my own need, as an educator, to identify local childcare centers that fit my own needs as an educator. My first suggestion to you is to go back over your center's Policies & Procedures and Curriculum Guide, which must include its education philosophy. Doing so may inform you of what the purpose of this center is - is it guided by the children's interests, which is always to play, or is it guided towards academic achievement?

From there you will then be able to first determine if you've landed in the right spot to support the natural inclination for children to learn through play, and remind your colleagues of this, or that you've got to seek a childcare center that has this education philosophy.

Play-based learning is a sound pedagogy, and I am more than happy to share a multitude of resources if you need them. Start with anything written by David Sobel, who promotes place-based education which is a majority of play outdoors. Also, see if you can open this Abstract (which tests the hypothesis that social skills are as valuable to academic success as cognitive skills are) in your browser:

ISSN 1413-389X Temas em Psicologia - 2012, Vol. 20, no 1, 61 – 70

Social skills and academic achievement: the mediating function of cognitive competence

Fabio Biasotto Feitosa

Department of Psychology, Federal University of Rondonia – Porto Velho, Brazil

Zilda A. P. Del Prette
Almir Del Prette
Department of Psychology, Federal University of Sao Carlos – São Carlos, Brazil

I hope my suggestions help you.



Best,
Mary

------------------------------
Mary Russell
Journeys Out Yonder
Boulder CO

Original Message:
Sent: 08-27-2017 05:25 PM
From: Kathryn Smith Rouse
Subject: Need support in encouraging play with other educators

Hi all,

I am part of a team teaching 4 years olds, I am the newest member of the team and I believe that play should be at the center of the early childhood curriculum. I have been teaching for many years but this is the first time I have come up against such great resistance to play.

I thought my fellow teachers believed the same, but it turns out they are not on the same page.

I want to show my fellow teachers that what is learned through play can not be replaced by filling in a worksheet. Even if the worksheet is filled in by a team. I want to talk with them about the importance of free choice play and how this can be loud, and messy and wonderful. That play can be intentional with a learning purpose and doesn't need to result in a product.

I would love some quotes, links to articles etc. or even just support that what I am trying to achieve is not all in vain!

Thanks,


------------------------------
Kat
FL
------------------------------

Dear Kat,
I am so glad so many people have responded to your plea - it is so frustrating to have to justify the importance of play for children's learning - it is so essential and I believe we are beginning to see the results of what happens when we do not honor play. I had not had time to respond, but a quote from Deb Curtis in her new book really made me think of you. The book is Really Seeing Children, and the quote was  from the ExchangeEveryDay email. "It's easy to dismiss children's explorations because they move quickly, make messes and put themselves in seemingly risky situations. I have developed the practice of waiting before jumping into a situation to determine what the thinking might be underneath a child's behavior."  Deb continues: " I have come to see that with most everything children do they have something in mind; a purpose or question they are pursuing. When I take even their smallest actions seriously, I am astonished at children's deep engagement with the simple wonders around them; I notice they are studying and speculating, engrossed in the moment."
And yes, we are ordering this book.
Good luck,
Marti Higgins

------------------------------
Marti Higgins
Executive Director
Indiana County Child Day Care Program, Inc.
Indiana, PA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-28-2017 07:30 PM
From: Kathryn Smith Rouse
Subject: Need support in encouraging play with other educators

Thank you all for fantastic resources!

I was feeling quite despondent about their reactions but know I feel I can respond appropriately.

My breath was taken away when I had to defend play in early childhood....

------------------------------
Kat
FL

Original Message:
Sent: 08-28-2017 04:14 PM
From: Mary Russell
Subject: Need support in encouraging play with other educators

You've touched on a sensitive issue for me as an educator. I am with you 100%! I was just in conversation with my County's Early Childhood training person, and we discussed the importance of families seeking the "right" childcare center for both their own and their child's needs. I spoke of my own need, as an educator, to identify local childcare centers that fit my own needs as an educator. My first suggestion to you is to go back over your center's Policies & Procedures and Curriculum Guide, which must include its education philosophy. Doing so may inform you of what the purpose of this center is - is it guided by the children's interests, which is always to play, or is it guided towards academic achievement?

From there you will then be able to first determine if you've landed in the right spot to support the natural inclination for children to learn through play, and remind your colleagues of this, or that you've got to seek a childcare center that has this education philosophy.

Play-based learning is a sound pedagogy, and I am more than happy to share a multitude of resources if you need them. Start with anything written by David Sobel, who promotes place-based education which is a majority of play outdoors. Also, see if you can open this Abstract (which tests the hypothesis that social skills are as valuable to academic success as cognitive skills are) in your browser:

ISSN 1413-389X Temas em Psicologia - 2012, Vol. 20, no 1, 61 – 70

Social skills and academic achievement: the mediating function of cognitive competence

Fabio Biasotto Feitosa

Department of Psychology, Federal University of Rondonia – Porto Velho, Brazil

Zilda A. P. Del Prette
Almir Del Prette
Department of Psychology, Federal University of Sao Carlos – São Carlos, Brazil

I hope my suggestions help you.



Best,
Mary

------------------------------
Mary Russell
Journeys Out Yonder
Boulder CO

Original Message:
Sent: 08-27-2017 05:25 PM
From: Kathryn Smith Rouse
Subject: Need support in encouraging play with other educators

Hi all,

I am part of a team teaching 4 years olds, I am the newest member of the team and I believe that play should be at the center of the early childhood curriculum. I have been teaching for many years but this is the first time I have come up against such great resistance to play.

I thought my fellow teachers believed the same, but it turns out they are not on the same page.

I want to show my fellow teachers that what is learned through play can not be replaced by filling in a worksheet. Even if the worksheet is filled in by a team. I want to talk with them about the importance of free choice play and how this can be loud, and messy and wonderful. That play can be intentional with a learning purpose and doesn't need to result in a product.

I would love some quotes, links to articles etc. or even just support that what I am trying to achieve is not all in vain!

Thanks,


------------------------------
Kat
FL
------------------------------

I have responded at some length to an earlier, similar question on DAP, so I am not going to go on too long with this one.  I just wanted to say that the wording of your original question: "Need support in encouraging play with other educators" makes me think that you need for those educators literally to play together.  So that they see the value of play for themselves, even as adults, to help them see the value for children.  If folks don't get this, it is one of the most difficult things ever to change.  But bless you for trying, and remember that change is almost always incremental.

------------------------------
Joseph Appleton
Dayton VA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-27-2017 05:25 PM
From: Kathryn Smith Rouse
Subject: Need support in encouraging play with other educators

Hi all,

I am part of a team teaching 4 years olds, I am the newest member of the team and I believe that play should be at the center of the early childhood curriculum. I have been teaching for many years but this is the first time I have come up against such great resistance to play.

I thought my fellow teachers believed the same, but it turns out they are not on the same page.

I want to show my fellow teachers that what is learned through play can not be replaced by filling in a worksheet. Even if the worksheet is filled in by a team. I want to talk with them about the importance of free choice play and how this can be loud, and messy and wonderful. That play can be intentional with a learning purpose and doesn't need to result in a product.

I would love some quotes, links to articles etc. or even just support that what I am trying to achieve is not all in vain!

Thanks,


------------------------------
Kat
FL
------------------------------

I wonder what, besides its publications for primary grade teachers, NAEYC has been doing this year to convince the NEA, the AFT, the national school superintendents and administrators' organizations, and the Education Department, to push play and DAP for the primary grades (as well as K and Pre-K).  We need a cultural change within public schools and those who administer them, to understand what research and common sense have told us about the need to reverse academic pushdown to play pushup.

------------------------------
John Surr
Charlottesville, VA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-27-2017 05:25 PM
From: Kathryn Smith Rouse
Subject: Need support in encouraging play with other educators

Hi all,

I am part of a team teaching 4 years olds, I am the newest member of the team and I believe that play should be at the center of the early childhood curriculum. I have been teaching for many years but this is the first time I have come up against such great resistance to play.

I thought my fellow teachers believed the same, but it turns out they are not on the same page.

I want to show my fellow teachers that what is learned through play can not be replaced by filling in a worksheet. Even if the worksheet is filled in by a team. I want to talk with them about the importance of free choice play and how this can be loud, and messy and wonderful. That play can be intentional with a learning purpose and doesn't need to result in a product.

I would love some quotes, links to articles etc. or even just support that what I am trying to achieve is not all in vain!

Thanks,


------------------------------
Kat
FL
------------------------------