How play-based learning at home can help prepare children for their first year of school
- Written by Lovevery cofounder Jessica Rolph
Following last month’s release of the Australian Early Development Census which showed more children are starting school with developmental vulnerabilities, Jessica Rolph, Co-founder of early childhood development company Lovevery, shares a practical angle for families on how play-based learning can help prepare children for their first year of school.
Jessica, a mother of three, says that while there are many factors influencing a child’s readiness for school, play-based learning can be a key way to develop social competence, confidence, empathy and emotional maturity.
Jessica says, “Play is incredibly powerful and is considered one of the important ways to nurture development. Although it may not appear ‘academic,’ play encourages forming and testing hypotheses, understanding spatial relations and physics, assessing and taking risks, sorting and categorising, problem-solving, collaborating, communicating, independence, self-advocacy, exploring, and learning from mistakes. It’s easy to think of play as trivial but play is one of the most essential activities of childhood.”
Even after children start preschool, studies show quality playtime at home continues to have a big impact on their development. While the school environment is more structured, they get more time for important self-directed play and the benefit of individual guidance at home. They still have a lot to learn from their playthings and from parents.
Jessica shares here three tips for making the most out of playtime at home with preschoolers.
- Ask different types of questions to spark new learning
Young children often learn best through their own discovery, but just a few well-timed, open-ended questions as they play can help get them thinking critically. For example, as you and your child build with blocks, you might ask: “What will happen if we put this big block on top?” or “Hmm, which tower is taller? What could we do to make the two towers the same height?” Closed-ended questions can also help reinforce concepts, like colours or shapes: When your child puts together two matching pieces of a The Land and Sky Two-Part Puzzle Board, for example, you might say, “Oh, look! What shape did those pieces make?”
- Let your child’s interest take centre stage
At preschool, your child can’t always dive deep into what specifically interests them in the same way they can at home. Tapping into their enthusiasm can be a springboard to more meaningful learning and exploration. For example, if your child loves butterflies, grab the one from the Quilted Critter Pockets and take it on a pollinating adventure. Spread out the flowers from Felt Flowers in a Row around a room, then encourage your child to have the butterfly float from flower to flower.
- Make learning hands-on (and fun)
Kids this age learn best by doing, so get hands-on! Bath time, for example, is perfect for science play. Try using the Liquid Lab containers to explore the idea of conservation. As your child pours water between different-sized containers, they’ll begin to grasp that the amount stays the same even when the shape changes. It might look like splashing around but this kind of play builds real-world thinking and problem-solving skills in a way that feels like fun.
https://lovevery.com.au/
