Good Parenting

Researchers from Temple University and the University of Delaware have found a big disconnect in the beliefs of American mothers and child development professionals about the link between play and learning. For mothers, the perceived learning value of play increased for structured, goal oriented activities. On the other hand, professionals consider structured activities to be outside the realm of play and attribute less learning value to those activities compared to unstructured activities. Parents tend to think that play with an educational focus better prepares kids for school. According to the study’s authors, Fisher, Hirsh-Pasek, Colinkoff, and Gryfe, since ancient times up through modern research, play has been seen as time for flexibility and intellectual exploration by young people that promotes learning and development.

Coined in a 1987 study by Irving Spiel, “hothousing” is the term used to describe the practice of forcing babies and young children to gain knowledge usually acquired at a later developmental stage. The shift in the meaning of play has come with broad shifts in social values. We have higher expectations for children to achieve and cope with technological change. Some of this comes from anxiety about the uncertain futures our children face. Some have argued that there has been a shift in the nation’s view of children and the idea of childhood. Instead of it being considered an important and special time requiring particular cultivation (as does each phase of childhood), the focus of very early childhood is preparation for modern adulthood. The diversion between policy and research is evident in kindergarten and elementary schools, where recess and playtime have been shortened and replaced with lessons that emphasize rote memorization and learning of facts. For early childhood specialists, who advocate the active involvement of parents in learning, the biggest frustration has been that parents avidly support the reduction of play and early focus on structured activities for young children when preschool should be a time of recreation and socialization.

Ironically, over preparation or enrichment activities at very young ages can stunt development. According to a report by Tynette Hills in the ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education on hothousing young children, “Those who advocate hothousing programs pay too little attention to theory and research.” In order to succeed in elementary education, children must use concepts and skills that flow from complex developmental processes such as knowledge organization and application , relating ideas about time, space, number and people. Accelerated programs often emphasize lower level processes such as memorization and visual recognition of letters and numbers.

Part of the problem is that the notion of play itself varies across time, culture and place. Even within the American context, researchers differ on the nature of play. However, there are some constants in research about specific play activities and various developmental benefits. For example, spontaneous every day play and exploration of shapes and space among very young children sets the stage for mathematical thinking. The consensus is that play, in its diversity, allows children to learn about themselves and the world around them. More importantly, it is self-directed play, where children are active learners and explorers that yields the most benefit in terms of social and academic development. Over two decades ago, Sigel pointed out that highly structured learning environments work in opposition to children’s natural learning processes.

What we believe influences our interaction with our children, which affects developmental outcomes. The study by Fisher et al (2008) found that mothers do indeed share the belief in the link between play and learning advocated by theorists and backed by research. However, what mothers consider to be play is not the type of play discussed in academic research. Unstructured play, as conceived of by researchers, includes free play, fantasy or symbolic play and social play. One interesting finding of the study is that parents also differ from experts in their definitions of structured play. For the modern American mother, structured play includes activities with goals such as playing with electronic toys, computers, and television, life skills activities like trips to the library or store, and use of flash cards. As the newest form of play, based on cutting edge technological advancements, most research has not yet explored the use of media in structured learning. Overall, the findings indicate that parents define play more broadly than do the experts, and value structured play much more than unstructured play.

What are the consequences? Structured play in educational toys like electronic books or consoles that build memorization by requiring children to “fill in the blank” are efficient but promote less learning than do traditional books. The bottom line is that reading with children, where children and caregivers or parents can have playful interaction leads to the acquisition of new knowledge and skills. The authors emphasize that unstructured play leads to problem solving, literacy, creativity and social skills. In the end, they note that just as the public is educated about the dangers of lead, the use of car seats or the dangers of secondary smoke, “parents may need to be educated on what constitutes play and its benefits if we are to create a generation of creative and emotionally healthy children who love to learn.”