The American Association for Promoting the Child’s Right to Play, more affectionately known as IPA USA, promotes children’s learning through play.
IPA Porch Play Chat – In early childhood programs, centers are spaces for children to explore and use materials. In the latest IPA Porch Play Chat, we discuss centers – how they are used and helping children and adults to make them more effective for children’s learning.
IPA Porch Play Chat – When adults see children playing, they think they have to tell them about what the children are doing, or direct what they are doing, or help them learn from what they are doing. Children need us NOT to interrupt the learning.
IPA Porch Play Chat – Many adults were taught to “teach” children, and did not learn that children learn more through play than from direct instruction. It’s very hard for adults who are used to telling the children what to do to start to “let” children do things and explore materials on their own. Here’s a link about starting to introduce children’s exploration into teacher-directed settings.
IPA Porch Play Chat – Often adults miss the distincton between what they think joy should look like and what children actually look like when they are engaged with what they are learning and/or doing. How can we encourage and allow children to become engaged?
IPA Porch Play Chat- Music as Play – or play leads to music learning. From infancy, children make sounds that adults mimic. They begin to learn the sounds of animals, and match pitch and volume. When their hands are developed enough to hold things, they shake and bang things.