Children Learn Through Play

If you were to ask your typical kindergarten teacher what preschool teachers and parents should do to prepare their children to succeed in school, their answer may surprise you. This past school year, I personally had the pleasure of touring some of our local public elementary schools and I asked that question to every kindergarten teacher I met along the way. I assumed they would all tell me that kindergartners should be able to write their own names and know the letters of the alphabet, shapes, colors, and some basic math skills.

Instead, most of them told me how vital it is to teach kids the life skills they need to survive in a classroom of 20-30 (or more!) five year-olds and just one teacher. The children who can work out disagreements with their peers, who can take care of themselves and their belongings, who are confident enough to ask for help when they need it, and who still have a desire and passion for learning are the ones who do the best in kindergarten.

At Tiny Tribe we try to provide our kids with a lot of open-ended time to play and use their imaginations in as many creative ways as possible. While teacher-directed activities are an enjoyable and important part of our day, they are only a small fraction of it and that is intentional. Children learn best through child-directed play. They learn how to negotiate with each other and their experiences build their confidence to speak up for themselves and ask for what they need. Every day we try to keep their passion for life and learning alive and thriving because we know that if they have that, all those other skills will be a piece of cake!

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