Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek gets the attention of early educators when she asks: “What happened to play?”
Hirsh-Pasek, a New York Times bestseller and expert in early literacy and learning, presented A Prescription for Play: Why Play Fosters Social and Cognitive Development at the First Things First Early Childhood Summit 2018. She is a leader in her field and directs the Infant Language Laboratory at Temple University.
In A Prescription for Play, Hirsh-Pasek presented research showing how children’s play time has gone down in formal educational settings in the last ten years, but hasn’t benefited children. Research shows that children learn best through guided play, which is “a planned play environment, enriched with objects and toys that provide experiential learning opportunities” as they co-play with parents and early education professionals. Learn more about the benefits of guided play and what children can learn (including mathematics).
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