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Recent research has shown that children often benefit more from play than they do through more structured attempts at teaching them. For instance, many parents believe that flashcards and computer activities help their children learn more than regular playground activities. Researchers are finding that this is not true and that many parents simply don’t recognize the positive effects of play on their children-including helping the development of their intellectual capabilities.
New and interesting environments that allow a child to become a more creative explorer encourage creativity and curiosity in the child. And as most scientists and teachers know, these are the building blocks for developing a child’s confidence and knowledge about the world.
Playing games also prepares children for upcoming formal schooling. Games that include singing and reading, for instance, put some children far ahead of those who do not have exposure to these kinds of activities in their first three years. Why are those first three years so important? Well, it has been recognized as a window of time when the connections between a baby’s synapses are quickly formed. The main points to remember about child development are:
1. Good old-fashioned play and fun really does help your child to learn.
2. Just about any situation that presents itself can be an opportunity for creative play for your child, if you recognize it and take advantage of it.
3. One of the big things that children do when they play is recognize similarities and distinctions in the world, and this is the door to their intellectual development.
4. Allowing your child to play creatively is one big way to help him prepare for school.
– Adapted from Understanding Children, by Richard Saul Wurman
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