Learning Through Play at Preschool 

Mother's Day Afternoon Tea

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the wonderful mothers and grandmothers who joined us in celebrating Mother's Day with our preschoolers. The children enjoyed spending some quality time with loved ones painting nails, decorating cupcakes, painting on the easel, decorating crowns and making pasta necklaces. 

Shifting the Focus on School Readiness

One of the most important things we can allow young children to do is play. Through play, children learn. Play is crucial for developing prewriting skills and preparing children for school readiness. It is a holistic and enjoyable way for children to learn and grow in preparation for later academic challenges.

Experiences develop dexterity, a good grip, fine motor skills and the ability to use strength and force, not just in their fingers but in their whole body too. Muscle development for writing is a comprehensive process that begins with movements of the whole arm and progresses toward very detailed fine motor control at the fingertips. 

A child writing their name is not an indication of how well they’ll do at school. It’s important we shift the focus on being able to write their name before starting school and turn our attention to playing, movement, and being outside to practice big scale movements that require strength and grip. These may include moving, playing, lifting things, free marking, painting, scribbling, vertical painting, digging, climbing, crawling along the ground, swinging, hanging upside down, rolling, stirring, pulling, stretching, kneading, pushing, pulling, prodding, poking, running, jumping and climbing trees. By moving and playing, children will be laying the foundation for handwriting skills, the pre-requisite for writing their names. You can’t build a house on weak foundations. So let them be little, let them explore, tinker, and play, because every moment is a learning experience. It’s all about igniting that intrinsic desire to try, to explore, and to have FUN!