nature
schooling inspired by
R
esearch shows that during the first five years of life, a child’s brain develops more dramatically than at any other time. Habits that children adopt in the early years tend to last a lifetime. Although some traditional preschools tout their offerings with advertisements of four-year-olds carrying briefcases, critics warn that young children learn most effectively through play. Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, proposes a remedy for the detrimental effects caused by well-meaning parents who keep their children busy with enrichment activities from dawn till dusk: unstructured playtime outdoors. He states in his book, “New studies suggest that exposure to nature may reduce the symptoms of ADHD, and that it can improve all children’s cognitive abilities and resistance to negative stress and depression.”
kyle chesser
by Jennifer Moscatello
Jennifer Jeffcoat and her young students take a nature walk in Saratoga Springs.
This article was published in Eucalyptus Magazine, December 2009.