My latest favorite book, and newest addition to my arsenal in the fight to bring back childhood, is A Mandate for Playful Learning in Preschool – Presenting the Evidence. This small, yet powerful review of research is written by Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Laura E. Berk and Dorothy Singer. It lays to rest any doubt about the value of playful learning and unstructured free play. It also clearly describes and defends the link between play and learning. Misguided policies that are pushing developmentally inappropriate curriculum and benchmarks into young children’s lives can not stand up against the evidence presented here.
If you are a parent worried about the academic success of your young child, this is an excellent book for you. You might be surprised about what you find out. If your young child is suffocating under an avalanche of worksheets, here is something that will breathe new life into your conversations with your school. If you are a teacher or child care provider who is feeling pressure from parents or administrators to eliminate quality play experiences at your school or day care, this is the book for you. Consider using this tool to change the conversation and help get your program back on track, or keep your school the playful learning place you want it to be.
I first heard about this powerful new book from colleagues at the NAEYC (National Association of the Education of Young Children) annual conference in Washington, DC last month. I have not received money to endorse this book, I merely aim to spread the word.