Play is the prime learning modality for all people. This may seem like an extreme statement until you investigate what constitutes play. We usually associate the word with children, and many studies have been done which show that children learn best through play, and when deprived of play they fail to grow in both creativity and academic progress--see side bar.
Dictionaries state that play is to engage in something for enjoyment, rather than for a serious or practical purpose. But what this definition misses is that any time you are doing something simply because you WANT to, because you enjoy it, this is play, whether or not it has a practical purpose or outcome. Right now I am finishing a room in our basement--making trim out of oak that came from the trees we felled when we built our house. Hard work, yes. Play? Absolutely! I am exercising my creativity and am excited about the project--and it's challenging. Think about it - what does "play" look like for adults (not watching others play, but actually playing)? It looks like making fabulous new creations (art, music, crafts, or culinary) or having "man vs. mountain" experiences: challenging, stimulating, one-of-a-kind experiences, where you walk away with new knowledge and insights.
This is just what our traditional learning environments are missing. A few years ago a large study was done by Stanford University which followed children from preschool age through elementary school. It found that while children who attend preschool are a bit ahead academically of non-preschool children upon entering kindergarten, the gap disappears by second grade for most children (the exception being children from low-income families). But there was a strong finding of negative socialization among middle and upper class children attending preschools, which was worsened in those who spent longer hours at preschool. This finding showed up by second grade, around the time the academic boost wore off as well.
Basically what happens is that the kids are all excited about learning at first, and love the teacher's attention and the fun of being with peers each day. They willingly work on ABCs-123s-Colors-Shapes, etc. and get those down right away. But after a few years the magic has worn off. They are tired of "direct instruction" as their learning modality. They have "given you the best years of their lives" and now what do they have to show for it? ABCs-123s-colors-shapes only take you so far when you are not mature enough to handle more complex subjects. And then you get bored and start acting out. This is exactly what the study found - the children who had been in academic preschools became learning-resistant about second grade. It's just not fun any more.
Why, then, the push for early academics--the "universal pre-K" that politicians are talking about lately? While it's debatable whether this would benefit low-income children, it will for SURE not benefit the majority of kids--which makes it simply another egalitarian tool in the hands of the social engineers.
What children need is more self-directed play in an enriched environment supported by a mentor. That is what I wish for my son's early years. And what I propose to provide--for him and some other lucky youngsters.
