Talking to parents about play can be difficult. Although most early childhood and primary educators are well versed in the benefits of play for children, many parents are not. Some parents struggle to appreciate the play going on in their children’s classrooms and educating them on the value of play may be challenging for teachers.
Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers) said, “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”
Depending on parent beliefs, cultural convictions, and the desire for their young children to perform academic tasks, the pressure on you to teach “traditionally” can be intense.
Other parents have an expectation that unless their child arrives home with a backpack stuffed with worksheets, he/she has not been learning during their time in your classroom.
Parents may understand the value of play when their kids are very young but not when they reach kindergarten. They want teachers to focus on good behaviour, direct instruction, a traditional classroom, and plenty of paper and pencil activities.
Unfortunately in many homes, play is viewed as unnecessary and learning by asking questions, touch and discovery, problem solving, and exploration is considered unimportant. The amount of time some of your students get for free play has been reduced in many homes and some kids are required to slog through pages of workbooks before bed.
Helping parents understand the value of play
So how can already busy teachers help educate parents to understand that play contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children? Here are a few ideas.
1. Post the benefits of different types of play in poster format around the classroom. When parents asks you about what their kids are doing, it is easy to direct them to the posters and point out the value of the children’s activities. For an example, see… Ten Things Children Learn From Block Play
2. Parents, especially those with more than one child in school are inundated with paper, reminders, fund raising info and more, most of which does not get read. Consistently sending home only one monthly information newsletter, with a page highlighting one benefit of play may have a higher chance of getting read than pages of information sent home randomly throughout the month (think – bulleted lists not paragraphs and lots of white space!) .
3. Include links in newsletters to Ted Talks about the value of play.
4. Consider creating a lending library for parents who would like to learn more about how play benefits their children.
Books on Play
Purposeful Play: A Teacher’s Guide to Igniting Deep and Joyful Learning Across the Day by Kristine Mraz, Alison Porcelli, and Cheryl Tyler
“Play doesn’t only happen when work is over. Children show us time and time again that play is the way they work. In Purposeful Play, you’ll find research-driven methods for making play an engine for rigorous learning in your classroom.”
How to Succeed at School: Separating Fact from Fiction by Wendy Berliner and Judith Judd
This book “shines a light on the best research into learning and the brain development that makes it all possible. Written by two distinguished education journalists, it provides an invaluable guide to the latest information for parents seeking to help their children to make the best use of their potential and steer a true course through an often confused, noisy and crowded learning landscape where ideas compete and nothing can seem clear.”
Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul by Dr. Stuart Brown
Brown “explains why play is essential to our social skills, adaptability, intelligence, creativity, ability to problem solve and more. Particularly in tough times, we need to play more than ever, as it’s the very means by which we prepare for the unexpected, search out new solutions, and remain optimistic. A fascinating blend of cutting-edge neuroscience, biology, psychology, social science, and inspiring human stories of the transformative power of play, this book proves why play just might be the most important work we can ever do.”
The Power of Play by David Elkind
“Today’s parents often worry that their children will be at a disadvantage if they are not engaged in constant learning, but child development expert David Elkind reassures us that imaginative play goes far to prepare children for academic and social success. Through expert analysis of the research and powerful examples, Elkind shows how creative, spontaneous play fosters healthy mental and social development and sets the stage for academic learning in the first place. ”
Links to learn more about the value of play…
Talking with Parents about Play and Learning
Play-based learning can set your child up for success at school and beyond
Links to pdf files for parents
Learning through play by Unicef and the Lego Foundation.
Play Today – Ministry of Education BC Canada
New to teaching? Check out my ebook, Challenging Children to Investigate With Everyday Things, for a gentle transition to teaching with more inquiry, discovery, and observation.