Play is a crucial aspect of young children’s development, benefiting their cognitive, social, and emotional growth. According to a study by Kelley Mayer White, professor of early childhood development at the College of Charleston, play-based learning helps children develop emotional regulation, social awareness, and problem-solving skills.

Benefits of Play-Based Learning

Research has found that children who attend play-based preschool programs score higher on measures of vocabulary and grammar compared to those in traditional programs. Additionally, play-based learning has been shown to improve children’s social and emotional skills, helping them process and understand the world around them.

Play can take many forms, including unstructured free play, guided play, and play-based learning. Dramatic play, in particular, has been found to improve children’s emotion regulation, language development, and ability to work through anxiety and fear. Constructive play, such as building with blocks, supports children’s cognitive development and mathematical understanding.

Role of Adults in Play

While children’s play is most powerful when it is child-directed, adults can serve an important role in supporting and guiding their play. Adults can help children navigate conflicts, introduce new vocabulary and characters, and spark ideas. Guided play, which involves asking open-ended questions to fuel a child’s play, has been found to be more beneficial for children’s math understanding than direct instruction.

Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.