The most important period of human development occurs in the first 8 years of life. It is essential to give children the chance to experience a variety of opportunities to help them learn and grow. At Concordia Place, our early childhood programs provide a foundation for learning through purposeful play. You may be wondering,
“What on earth does that mean?” or “How is my child learning from playing?”
Well, let me explain. Play is essential for young minds and bodies. It can support social and emotional development, fine motor skills (small muscle movements like picking up food or a toy) and gross motor skills (large muscle movements like jumping or climbing), as well as language development. Learning through play allows for child-led education. The teacher’s role in play is to facilitate learning by using materials that grow with the child, setting up opportunities for different kinds of play, and observing and documenting patterns and behaviors. Play is enjoyable for and chosen by the child. The end goal of play isn’t the priority, it is the process itself.
Now that you have an idea of what learning through play is, let’s look at some examples.
You probably already are! Continue to provide opportunities for your child to play at home. Take a few minutes each day to get on their level and watch what they are doing. Ask open-ended questions like, “What are you making?”, “How did you do that?”, or “What else could you try?” You’ll be surprised just how much your child is learning just by playing.
As a learning organization, Concordia Place is committed to continued improvement. We have learned that distinguishing between the Concordia Place and Concordia Day brands was not necessary.
Starting May 1, all visitors to concordiaday.org will be redirected to day.concordiaplace.org
By unifying around the sole use of the Concordia Place brand, we will provide clarity and focus on our mission to serve families and provide both care and education for their children.