www.naeyc.org

 

I was reading off of www.naeyc.org about various things when the title Play and Children`s Learning caught my attention. One of my assignments this week was connected to the unintended consequences of "childhood" being viewed as an investment opportunity is that there are high academic expectations for children from an early age and play is given less and less an importance. For that reason I decided to read NAEYC`s view on play and what role it plays in children`s development. The conclusion was that “Many organizations, including NAEYC, have written about the importance of physical play, and play generally, in early childhood development. Not only does research suggest that play supports academic-related skills, but also physical skills and development. As the Pediatrics article shows, pressures on early childhood programs that come from funding concerns and a lack of understanding the role of play and how to best use it to support early childhood development will continue to result in decisions that devalue play” (NAEYC). There is also mention of how the website has many resources to help early education professionals integrate big body play into their programs to meet a range of developmental goals.

I was very excited to read that the “National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies released From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development, an update and synthesis of current scientific knowledge of child development from birth to age five. Guided by the Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood Development (Jack Shonkoff, Chair and Deborah Phillips, Study Director). Early experiences affect the development of the brain and lay the foundation for intelligence, emotional health, and moral development, but the focus on the period from "zero-to-three" is too narrow. Some of the things that came up were:

1.      Healthy early development depends on nurturing and dependable relationships.

2.      How young children feel is as important as how they think, particularly with regard to school readiness.

3.      And although society is changing, the needs of young children are not being met in the process.” (NAEYC)

It is exciting when specialists come together and scientific advances can be used to shape early childhood policy, services and research.

I am very interested in reading more about nature and how I am take the children`s learning outdoors in order to make it more meaningful, fun and healthy.

 www.naeyc.org