Play Based Vs Academic Essay

Play Based Vs Academic in the Preschool Classroom The days of preschool classrooms that only allow children to play are becoming a thing of the past. For the most part, this is a positive change for young children as teachers are incorporating curriculum and state early learning standards. There is a negative side also, the loss of play in some preschools. Many of our young children are attending some form of early education. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that “53% of 3 year olds, 66% of 4-year-olds, and 85% of 5 year-olds are enrolled in pre-primary education (2016, p. 70). Now more than ever, children are expected to know more and more to be considered kindergarten ready. The No Child Left Behind Act in 2001 and the Common Core Standards in 2012 have put pressure on preschool programs to look more like an elementary classroom which includes less play and more academics. This poses a problem for preschool teachers as they feel this pressure. High quality early childhood teachers understand how to link play and academics together to foster learning. Young children …show more content…
Children are born learners, therefore, for them to learn and develop requires us to give them a high quality education. It’s imperative that teachers use developmentally appropriate practices with the whole child in mind which will help scaffold young children’s learning. This must be done by providing play, and hands on learning experiences while following early childhood standards. Children are our future, consequently; we must invest in them. An expert in the early childhood field and of whom I look up to, Mr. Fred Rogers sums up the value of play, “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood” Fred