As school closures continue to be announced around the country and around the world due to the coronavirus, I see more and more posts from fellow teachers and parents alike, offering links to printable schedules for home learning, educational resources and free downloadable worksheets. While these can be helpful for families, they can also place undue pressure on both parents and children.
I would like to offer a different perspective for parents of young learners, one which doesn’t require parents to play teacher and leaves learning (mostly) in nature’s very capable hands – through play, exploration and connection.
I understand that parents feel panicked about the schooling their children will be missing in the coming weeks. But let me be clear about something, school may be on hold but learning is not. By providing opportunities for authentic learning through play and exploration, we not only take the pressure off of both parents and kids, we create time and space for real-life, relevant, meaningful learning that is lasting...well beyond that of any worksheet.
So what do I mean by authentic learning? Well, simply put, authentic learning is real life learning. It engages all the senses and allows learners to make meaningful connections to the world around them. Think about the math and science concepts that are introduced and the learning (and bonding) that takes place when we invite our children into the kitchen with us. In his article 5 Life Skills Kids Learn When They Cook, Erik Missio says, “Cooking and baking offer easy opportunities to compare fractions or convert measurements, whether it’s reinforcing a ½ cup is twice the size of ¼ cup, or that one tablespoon is the same as three teaspoons. Depending on the recipe, there may also be multiplication or division.The kitchen also offers lots of basic science lessons when it comes to chemistry. Discuss why baking powder makes things rise or why we need hot temperatures in the oven to cook.” Literacy is also an important part of cooking and baking as kids learn to read and follow a recipe. When we are required to make a substitution because we don’t have the listed ingredients or the amount required, they are learning to problem solve. When children of all ages are included in meal prep, we provide them with a multitude of opportunities for authentic learning to take place.
Good educators try to recreate these rich learning opportunities in the classroom. We try to make learning relevant to kids, utilizing real-life applications whenever possible, mimicking what happens in their everyday lives outside of the classroom. We strive to extend learning beyond our classroom walls.
So why, when we have an extended period of time outside of the classroom, would we try to replicate classroom learning? Why would we departmentalize subject matter rather than create rich, cross-curricular opportunities for real-life learning?
I get it. It’s fear. The fear that our children will fall behind, or at the very least, that they won’t get ahead. But the science is clear: young children learn through play and exploration. Nature designed it this way. Play is a child’s context for learning. According to Dr. Laurel Bongiorno’s article, 10 Things Every Parent Should Know About Play, “Children practice and reinforce their learning in multiple areas during play. It gives them a place and a time for learning that cannot be achieved through completing a worksheet. For example, in playing restaurant, children write and draw menus, set prices, take orders, and make out checks.” We can’t underestimate the value of play. It isn’t frivolous. In fact, play is essential to learning. It’s simple: Play IS learning.
“Given the findings linking play and learning, it is perhaps shocking that play has been devalued in our culture. Play has become a 4-letter word that often represents the opposite of productive work.” - Kathy Hirsh-Pasek & Roberta Golinkoff, Why Play = Learning
In addition to providing opportunities for learning through play and exploration, we have to also be mindful of overstimulation and too much screen time. In his book, Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids, Kim John Payne writes, “Rest nurtures creativity, which nurtures activity. Activity nurtures rest, which sustains creativity. Each draws from and contributes to the other.” Ensuring our children have the time they need to rest and reflect is a critical part of learning about themselves and the world around them.
So how do we best support our young learners at home during these unprecedented times? Well I would argue that it isn’t through a colour-coded, hour-by-hour homeschool schedule filled with worksheets, rote learning and memorization. We need to trust that providing ample opportunities for play, rest, exploration, and connection is enough. Because it IS enough. You are enough. They are enough. We are enough...no schedule or worksheets necessary.
xx Amy
P.S. Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing examples of opportunities I provide for my own children for authentic learning through play and exploration. So, make sure you are following me on Facebook and Instagram! I will also be opening up additional spaces for virtual parent-coaching sessions for families wanting one-to-one support. Even with social distancing, we can come together as a community to learn from one another and find the camaraderie, inspiration and support we need.
References:
Hirsh-Pasek K, Golinkoff RM. Why Play = Learning. In: Tremblay RE, Boivin M, Peters RDeV, eds. Smith PK, topic ed. Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development [online]. http://www.child-encyclopedia.com/play/according-experts/why-play-learning. Published October 2008.