I watched him eagerly build. Forget that parking garage we’d given him; his backdrop for his car pretend play needed to be a magnificent double castle. It was clear that for him, his make-believe was thoroughly real and satisfying and rich.
And I wondered how often I have not recognized such pretend play for what it really is: self-constructed learning experiences.
Now, as I watch my kids play and explore and learn, I am filled with questions.
Do we recognize their fantastical play of equal or greater value than “real world” play?
Children use fantasy not to get out of, but to get into, the real world. ~John Holt
Do we see a child at play or a person constructing meaning for themselves?
“Never in my entire childhood did I feel like a child. I felt like a person.” pic.twitter.com/LjxtW7TXsg
— Bruce L. Smith (@numbalum89) June 19, 2018
Do we believe that play has its place, but that that place is still below drilling shapes, colors, and counting if the child has reached a certain age?
“Children naturally resist being taught because it undermines their independence and their confidence in their own abilities to figure things out and to ask for help, themselves, when they need it.” ~Peter Gray
Do we allow panic of “readiness lists” (for any grade or age) to override our child’s autonomy over what they’ve indicated they are ready for?
And most personally relevant: will I avoid the same mistake I made with my oldest (from which her own stubbornness saved us both), assuming that unless I assert my agenda and timetables and learning, my preschooler will fail?
Even as I work to provide a learning environment, I will try to remember an equally, if not more, important role: to trust them enough that I take their own learning autonomy seriously.
featured image: DeathToTheStockPhoto