Play-based Education

Children are learning during all times of the day, whether it be engaging in a story, creating with blocks or noticing the sound of birds outside. Play based education is the idea that young children learn best when given the opportunity to play during age-appropriate activities. Play helps children develop cognitive skills, physical abilities, social skills, and vocabulary and literacy skills.

Open-ended materials can be used by children of different abilities in many different ways. While a toddler may stack blocks to make towers, older children may sort them into different colors before creating a room with doors and windows – all with the same blocks! Each child is using the activity to learn; cause and effect, sorting colors, and fine motor.

Highly qualified early childhood educators, help direct play to provide children with the maximum learning opportunities. At The Aemilian Preschool, we believe in the power of play and natural learning experiences to help even the youngest children gain knowledge and understanding of the world in which they live. By observing a gentle touch to a friend who is frustrated building blocks or hearing a child ask for a turn on the slides, we see children learning to be compassionate social beings while growing their cognitive and physical skills. Even in failure, we see learning opportunities to try again and persevere. It is our job as educators to create a stable nurturing community where children learn the value of helping others.

At Aemilian we meet each day and each interaction with children and families with enthusiasm and compassion. We strive to get to know each child and truly learn what is special about each of them. By documenting where they are developmentally we can challenge them with the next steps in each of their areas of development: socially, emotionally, physically, intellectually and creatively. We want to instill a love of learning that will carry them throughout their lives. For a young child who is fully exposed to the power of play, the entire learning process becomes self-sustained because the natural love of learning is preserved and enhanced.

Additional Resources on Play-Based Education

“Play-Based Learning & Aemilian Preschool” - My Milwaukee Adventure
“How to Use Play for Learning” - Edutopia
”Comparing PReschool Philosophies: Play-Based vs. Academic” - PBS
”The Importance of Play-Based Education in the Early Years” - Mother Mag
”The Importance of Play-Based Learning” - Room 241 (By Concordia University - Portland)
”The Importance of Play-Based Learning in Preschool” - Learning without Tears