Successful Play...
Successful Future

Children at the West Midland Family Center Preschool are "Learning Through Play"…

Play in early childhood is the best foundation for social and academic success. Play develops skills necessary for children to learn to read and write as well as gaining understanding in math and science. Research has shown that “not only does play help children develop skills and concepts necessary to master literacy and math, it also builds the foundations of more general competencies that are necessary for the children to learn successfully in school and beyond” (Chopsticks and Counting Chips, Bodova and Leong 2009).

When preschoolers play, they take the initiative: they choose where they want to play, they decide what materials they want to play with, they come up with their own ideas, and try out those ideas. They cooperative and share with others. They problem solve and decide how to proceed to their goal. They create “rules” for their play. Play is their work.

If you happen to come into one of our preschool classrooms and see …

Children playing with:

Musical instruments – they are learning to compose a new song, play an instrument, and appreciate the art of music.

Blocks - they are learning to match, classify, and sort by shape and size.

Clay or playdough – they are using their fine motor skills to shape, mold, and create a project.

Art materials – they are learning to make artistic choices and be creative.

Puzzles – they are learning to problem solve and stick to a job to complete it.

When children are playing outside – they are learning to observe nature and how to take care of our Earth.

When children are playing outside – they are learning to observe nature and how to take care of our Earth.

As our preschoolers are learning through play … so are their parents. During our first Family Enrichment Night in October, our preschool parents learned first hand how and why we play everyday at preschool. The parents were able to participate in cooperative learning through play activities that their children experience every day in the classroom.

Some of the parents chose to play in the art area where they created beautiful open-ended art masterpieces.

Some of the parents chose to play in the block area where they planned out and built entire cities and neighborhoods.

Some of the parents chose to play with playdough where they baked yummy cookies and cakes.

Some of the parents chose to play with the musical instruments where they composed and played beautiful tunes.

The parents learned some valuable lessons on how important and crucial play is in helping their child to learn and grow. They also learned that learning through play creates a path for their child to future social and academic success. There are many ways parents can foster learning through play at home. A few ideas are:

Dress up clothes/household materials: Young children love to play dress up and with household materials such as recipe books, cooking utensils, or tools. This kind of play fosters self-esteem and creativity.

Sand bins with rakes or cylinders: Young children love to play with sand. They enjoy raking lines in the sand or scooping up the sand in their hands to pour into the cylinder. This kind of play fosters imagination and identifying physical characteristics (sand).

Math manipulatives: Young children learn best when they are participating in hands-on learning. Household items such as spoons, buttons, or food boxes could be used for counting or sequencing. This kind of play fosters thinking, problem solving, and 1-1 correspondence.

Musical instruments: Young children learn to appreciate music by listening to and playing musical instruments. If you do not have a musical instrument, you and your child can make one. You can use old coffee cans or oatmeal cans to make a drum. You can use empty paper towel rolls and beans to make a rain stick.

Learning through play is a major component in our preschool day. Our children, and now our parents, know how important it is. When children learn through play … their futures will be brighter and much more successful!