Sunday, September 20, 2015

Defending Play

Our philosophy at Butterfly Hill is that of child centered play.  We build our environment and days on moments of discovery, experimentation, cooperation, problem solving, risk taking, questioning, and exploring.  This is PLAY!  Our academic driven education system has pushed down to preschool and many preschools are giving children workbooks and are forcing children to do teacher directed activities so they have something to show they are learning.  At Butterfly Hill we take a different approach to learning.  An approach that is rooted in  brain based research.  For now, we have to defend play and prove that your children are learning in our environment.  We have to prove that when we allow them to use their whole bodies to learn and make their own decisions that this is the highest form of meaningful learning your child could ever be a part of.
This photo is an example of a child making meaning of the world around her. She spent 10 minutes using her gross and fine motor skills to punch circles out of this piece of paper. She ran over to me and said, "Look!  I made an H!"  She is making connections because we give her the time, materials and environment to make connections.  We let her play!  This is pre-literacy at it's greatest!  We didn't make her sit down at a table and write the letter H over and over to learn what the letter H looks and feels like.  She experienced it on her own and the moment was meaningful to her.  Trust the brain research! 

When given time to make their own decisions, children will learn!  They will be ready for the next stage in life - when it comes.  But, for now, let's let them enjoy being 3,4 and 5.  

Your children are lucky.  They are learning.  Trust us.  Trust them.  Trust the research. Play is learning! 

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