As adults, we are concerned with the outcomes or the product of our efforts. We want the report to look nice, the cookies to taste great, or the hedges to be perfectly straight. We participate in few activities just for the fun of doing them. In part this is because we are not still learning
Why do we as adults pursue hobbies such as golf, crochet, or gardening? We spend time in such an activity because we find it enjoyable, we have some control over the activity, and we see it as offering some probability of success. We choose what we will crochet or plant; we decide where, when, and
Quiet classrooms do not mean that young children are learning. In fact, since oral language is very important during the early years, quiet classrooms may indicate that young children are not learning all they could be. Talking gives a child the opportunity to experiment with new words. It provides the vehicle for expressing ideas and
Active learning takes advantage of children's natural desire to move and touch. Young children love to manipulate items and explore new ideas. They enjoy the opportunity to see how things work and to test their own theories. Active learning takes advantage of children's natural motivations, abilities, and interests. Kids get lots of opportunities to investigate
If you have recently visited a quality preschool program, you probably noticed that the classrooms have a lot of bustle and noise, that children are up doing things, talking, playing, and exploring. Such a classroom environment differs from the old grade-school images of a teacher doing a lot of talking at a blackboard while children
Play is at the center of much of what we focus on at Pembroke Kids. Susan Engle, director of the teaching program at Williams College, thinks that play should also be an important part of every child's elementary education, and continue long after children leave preschool. During the school day, there should be extended time
