Play may be the work of the child, but the myriad learning opportunities that early years children can gain through being supported to learn through their own interests and explorations are being thwarted by many of the educational establishments that are there to help them.
A play-based approach to learning has long been advocated by early years pioneers such as Froebel, Piaget and Montessori as being developmentally appropriate, more creative and holistic. The Effective Pre-School, Primary and Secondary Education (EPPSE) research also shows that children’s outcomes and experiences are best in settings where there is a balance between child-initiated and adult-directed activities, and especially child-initiated activities that are then supported by adults.
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