Child's play or work

 

Everyone knows a child wants to play. We are also getting to know that through play children learn. But everyone might not agree that a child loves to play but a purpose in the play is what a child looks at. The child likes to be challenged, not high or low, not too much not too less. It's just RIGHT 

I would like to think from the perspective of schools. Some schools of thought say children need free play after a continuous grilling in the school. 

Where some schools of thought say we integrate play and learning. children play and learn. 

Let's think about what our Educationists said in the past. We follow them in one or the other ways, especially in early childhood development. Jean Piaget, 1973  identified play as contributing to cognitive development. Problem-solving, creative thinking, initiative, discovery, and imagination.

Vygotsky, 1967, argued that "play provides children with opportunities to expand their world.  Vygotsky added that play does not merely reflect development, but also contributes to cognitive development". In short, play is the best preparation for future life. 

Being early childhood educators I think most of us agree with the two of our  Educationists who contributed a lot to a child's development. 

Let's think from another perspective. What if I  allow children to be free and play so children develop necessary skills? But I found that Children wanted to concentrate. This kind of environment was not helping them to concentrate.  then I tried integrating some learning into playing, but here comes another problem. I have so many children to cater to. If children don't work independently if children do not know what to do without my help, Am I really helping them? All children exhibit the characteristics to be independent right from an infant. can we take away from them as they grow? 

 Children work better where there is beauty and order in the environment in the early years.  When I say beauty it's not the colorful, bright paintings but the neat clean aesthetic, culturally connectable. the space should be such that it aids development without adult intervention all the time.  If we keep interfering how do children concentrate? and think by themselves? If we keep instructing them, how do children think, how do they even understand the way they learn? 

Dr. Montessopri (1965) was also one of the educators I connect her pedagogy to.  She wanted only 3 ingredients to implement this. The environment which fulfills all the needs of children, The didactic materials which help children to work with their hands. and the Adult, who is watchful, mindful, and observant, guides children only when there is a need. 

She said Children work, they don't play. it simply means that Children learn all the time. Whatever they do is work. But there is a difference.  Children love purposeful work. So she developed materials that have a purpose, precision, and science. 

It all stemmed from the child to the child and for the child. the child is the one who takes it forward. We  just assist them in this profound process of making the man. A child's work is to create the man. 

What is a child's work?  

IN DR. MONTESSORI'S WORDS, " IT IS THE CHILD WHO MAKES THE MAN, AND NO MAN EXISTS WHO WAS NOT MADE BY THE CHILD HE ONCE WAS."  

Shall we have the trust and facilitate?

(References: Knowledge from my Mentors and my experience working with children 

Quotes are taken from the internet)