Play Way Method

‘Work while you work and play while you play’. For kids and infants, play is their full time work. The concept of pre-schooling and early childhood education is becoming an emerging culture of modern day life.

Parents are feeling proud to make the kids recite poems and stories in front of their relations. Parents’ attitude towards society and the growing technology are the major challenges for kids.

Science and technology has taken a greater altitude of growth and the children are forced to keep themselves updated on these technologies. If a kid is not aware of basic computer operations, the parents’ feel it to be a sign of disgrace and embarrassment among their peer group.

Society is throwing a lot of expectations from the kids even before they actually enter the competition. Pre school bags are heavier than their lunch boxes. The concept of play school was introduced to make the kids get used to being out of home and to develop sportive attitude among fellow kids.

Teaching alphabets through music and stories through visuals will interest the kids’ attitude towards learning. It is pathetic to see the loads of book, the kids carry their way to school. Schools are definitely not voted as a place of interest for kids. They feel it to be only burden and compulsion.

Understanding the difference between learning and reading becomes an essential part here. Our schools concentrate only on reading, which is completely an academic oriented concept. Learning becomes life oriented and a piece of interest for kids. Learning stays deep in mind forever, whereas reading gets overwritten after every new concept.

Activities and fun must be the core concepts of pre schooling which will kindle the interest of learning. This type will help in identifying the strengths of kids’ right at the beginning stage and it can be moulded as per the specific talents. Forced education should not be done at any stage of learning.

Teaching mode and materials should be modified as per the kids’ interests. Chalk piece and blackboard can take them no way longer at the present day scenario. Audio visual medium of education can be implemented and interactive class sessions can be encouraged to a greater extent. This will help in developing active participation of the kids.

Education systems must focus learning as the sole aim of schools at least at the level of kinder garden. Loads of books and heavy lessons will impede the interest of education at the child level itself.

The word ‘Teacher’ must be replaced by ‘caregiver’ and ‘student’ must be replaced by ‘care-receiver’.

Reading, as a Habit for children

Reading is Fun...

Especially, when being Children, Reading is an interesting and a fun-to-do thing and all that you need to do is to develop an interest towards it. Children’s face difficulties in reading, as they do not understand the difference between reading and studying. Parents have to take meticulous care in making the children understand the difference between the two. Reading for the academic purpose is completely different from reading as a habit. I am sure this makes sense. If not, read it again!

Parents must guide the children to divide their time for reading academics and non-academics. Apart from the time spent for academics, children have plenty of time which they are spending on versatile activities such as playing games, watching television, fighting with fellow children, refusing to have food and a lot more. Reading can be developed as a part of these entertaining activities, as reading is one of the best entertainments. Parents must inculcate the reading habit in their children, not as compulsion but as an involvement.

Children must be made aware of how interesting reading and writing are. The more a kid writes, the more he/she becomes expressive in the future. Reading is the foundation for writing. Only when we read, do we learn to write. Every speaker must be a listener, every writer must be reader.

Parents must find the right subject (I mention again. This is not the academic subject!) their children are interested in. Children must be given more exposure and knowledge towards the area of self interest, right from the childhood.

As I mentioned earlier, I have seen a lot of children who blindly hate reading as they are not able to clearly distinguish between reading and studying. At the first place, parents must bring in this awareness in their children. Reading is a healthy habit which every kid must (but not as a compulsion!) develop.

The next thing is the ‘Read Aloud’ habit. The habit of reading aloud will help the children to avoid fear of reading amidst groups. The ‘Read Aloud’ habit will also facilitate better pronunciation skills and concentration on reading. Unlike ‘reading by heart’, ‘reading aloud’ will not lead to distractions. Parents, pay little keen attention here! This concentration will be helpful for you when you make your children study their academics.

Parents can make available, materials such as newspapers, dictionaries, encyclopedias, facts and stories, science and inventions for their children to read during their free time. Parents can also sit with them and make the children understand the wonderful inventions and discoveries of the world. The more the parents admire and wonder at things, the children will replicate the same attitude which will help them to grow as active children.

Reading story books can be made interactive with the parents and the children by each of them imitating a character of the play. This will motivate the kids to read more with active participation.

Children must practice the habit of relaxed reading, which will help them develop a sustained interest towards reading. So children, as soon as possible, start to Read new things, Enjoy the new facts that you come across and Learn to discover the wonderful things of the world.