What kind of children are we shaping today?
“Can I Go And Play Now..?” all too quickly becomes something young children say in our Early Years settings. It’s a phrase that reflects their disconnection from their learning. Often they are removed from their own play to participate in group work, worksheets or adult-led interventions. Real play emanating from and led by children, rooted in their imagination, their dreams, their wonder is being squeezed out of Early Years and KS1 because the Adult World demands progress, measurability and outcomes.
Yet children’s ‘ether’, their ‘language’ is the only true path for them to learn in a meaningful way. This path is also one that can shape who they are and who they will become.
When we embrace real play, we have the potential to unlock children’s a door that can lead to a new world: a world of infinite possibilities, a world of magic...
“Can I Go And Play Now..?” all too quickly becomes something young children say in our Early Years settings. It’s a phrase that reflects their disconnection from their learning. Often they are removed from their own play to participate in group work, worksheets or adult-led interventions. Real play emanating from and led by children, rooted in their imagination, their dreams, their wonder is being squeezed out of Early Years and KS1 because the Adult World demands progress, measurability and outcomes.
Yet children’s ‘ether’, their ‘language’ is the only true path for them to learn in a meaningful way. This path is also one that can shape who they are and who they will become.
When we embrace real play, we have the potential to unlock children’s a door that can lead to a new world: a world of infinite possibilities, a world of magic...
I am a passionate advocate of childhood and the critical role of play in our education systems. I am committed to enabling children to be at the centre of their own development and learning and supporting educators on the adventure into the magic of children.
