EDUCATION Why is childhood play so important in early childhood education?

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A place to shine Limited places available Call us on 4384 9000 to book a tour Open from 6:30am to 6pm Monday to Friday Catering for Children aged 0–6 1 Reads Road, Wamberal /alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal www.alkiraelc.com.au Alkira_elc A place to shine A community focused on happiness, education and belonging. 1 Reads Road, Wamberal /alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal www.alkiraelc.com.au Alkira_elc TO OUR COMMUNITY Wait list open call us on 4384 9000 to book a tour /alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal www.alkiraelc.com.au Alkira_elc 4384 9000 A place to shine A community focused on happiness, education and belonging. 1 Reads Road, Wamberal /alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal www.alkiraelc.com.au Alkira_elc Celebrating TWO YEARS OF SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY Wait list open call us on 4384 9000 to book a tour A community focused on happiness, education and belonging. A place to shine Limited places available Call us on 4384 9000 to book a tour Open from 6:30am to 6pm Monday to Friday Catering for Children aged 0–6 1 Reads Road, Wamberal /alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal www.alkiraelc.com.au A place to shine A community focused on happiness, education and belonging. 1 Reads Road, Wamberal Celebrating TWO YEARS OF SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY Wait list open call us on 4384 9000 to book a tour A place to shine A community focused on happiness, education and belonging. Celebrating TWO YEARS OF SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY Wait list open call us on 4384 9000 to book a tour A community focused on happiness, education and belonging. A place to shine Limited places available Call us on 4384 9000 to book a tour Open from 6:30am to 6pm Monday to Friday Catering for Children aged 0–6 1 Reads Road, Wamberal /alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal www.alkiraelc.com.au Alkira_elc A place to shine A community focused on happiness, education and belonging. 1 Reads Road, Wamberal /alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal www.alkiraelc.com.au Alkira_elc Celebrating TWO YEARS OF SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY Wait list open call us on 4384 9000 to book a tour /alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal www.alkiraelc.com.au Alkira_elc 4384 9000 A place to shine A community focused on happiness, education and belonging. 1 Reads Road, Wamberal /alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal www.alkiraelc.com.au Alkira_elc Celebrating TWO YEARS OF SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY Wait list open call us on 4384 9000 to book a tour A community focused on happiness, education and belonging. A place to shine Limited places available Call us on 4384 9000 to book a tour Open from 6:30am to 6pm Monday to Friday Catering for Children aged 0–6 WHEN CHILDREN PLAY, THEY ARE PROBLEM SOLVING, INVESTIGATING, LEARNING PERSEVERANCE, BECOMING DIVERGENT THINKERS; THEY ARE LEARNING HOW TO LEARN, NOT WHAT TO LEARN. If you think back to when you were a kid, you may have climbed trees, played make-believe games with friends, got covered in mud making “pies” and selling them in your “shop”. You may have role-played as the “mother” or “father” taking care of your “babies” and “pets”. At the time you were just having fun, but did you know these play activities were an important foundation in your learning and development? The benefits of play in children’s learning are nationally and internationally recognised. Play is our brain’s favourite way of learning and how we practise what we have learnt. It shapes the architecture of the brain in unique ways (Bartlett, 2010). The brain is use-dependant, meaning that sensory driven activity occurs when children are learning by doing. In essence, children’s brains grow when they play (Winter, 2010). We know from research that 90 per cent of brain growth happens in the first 2,000 days of life — roughly the first five years of our lives — with one million connections in the brain forming per second. An early childhood education facility that fosters and embeds a play-based learning philosophy provides holistic learning opportunities that support all developmental areas including social, emotional and intellectual. And when children have the autonomy to be intrinsically motivated to learn, they develop positive dispositions towards learning. It is the role of the educator to be attuned with each individual child, taking into consideration developmental stages, strengths and interests. While children play, educators can further explore learning opportunities using deeper levels of engagement. Committed early childhood educators with training and experience can carefully guide, facilitate and resource children’s play allowing the growing brain to take what it needs at its own Why is play so important in early childhood education? WORDS OLIVIA BALBI pace and readiness. Alkira_elc www.alkiraelc.com.au /alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal/alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal Alkira_elc www.alkiraelc.com.auwww.alkiraelc.com.au /alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal1 Reads Road, WamberalIt is important that educational facilities, families, practitioners and policymakers understand and recognise the true benefits of learning through play and allow children to enjoy the magical years of being a child. Let the children play! www.alkiraelc.com.au Alkira_elc /alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal Alkira_elcAlkira_elc 4384 9000 www.alkiraelc.com.au