My lovely friend, Donna Heather, has written a great article on the importance of play in helping children to learn. The article appears in Natural Parent Magazine.
Donna and I used to work together in Auckland at the Ministry of Education and I miss seeing her face! She has since set up her business ‘WordPlay’ a mobile speech and language therapy service in Auckland.
Here’s the beginning of Donna’s article in Natural Parent Magazine:
“Oh, you get paid to play? That must be nice!”. I have heard this so many times over my career as a speech language therapist. Yes, it is nice to play, but so often people underestimate its power and importance. People think of play as fun and childish, but it is so much more. Play is how children learn.
Play is an opportunity for children to make sense of their world. There is so much to learn! Any play activity is a learning experience. Play builds attention and focus, as well as helping children to develop communication and cognitive skills.
Natural Parent Magazine: Early Play and Communication – Donna Heather.
Check out the full article for her wonderful wisdom and insights.