I believe the best way to learn is through play. Through play we can reduce stress and take the time to enjoy the little moments.
I had the opportunity to listen to Lise Eliot, Ph. D. a professor of Neuroscience at the Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science speak out brain development. This was an enlightening experience and it changed how I looked at the education system. One of the examples that she gave was why timed math fact quizzes as a means of measuring a person’s ability to assess a student’s knowledge might not be the best way. She talked about how if a student is stressed prior to the quiz it is likely not an accurate reflection of a student’s abilities. She advocated for an end to this type of assessment in early education. In summary, it is important to understand a student under stress is not as ready and open to learn.
After I started as a independent consultant for Discovery Toys I started to research more about the power and purpose of play.
Some of the books I have been reading include:
- Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul by Stuart Brown, M.D.
- Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary “Executive Skills” Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential by Peg Dawson, EdD & Richard Guare, Phd
- A Mandate for Playful Learning in Preschool: Presenting the Evidence by Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Laura E. Berk, & Dorothy G. Singer
- The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind
- Hands On, Minds On: How Executive Function, Motor, and Spatial Skills Foster School Readiness
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