Education
The role of play in early education
Glance at a typical family schedule and you
would no doubt see that afternoons are jampacked
and many children — even the youngest
among them — have full itineraries of structured
after-school activities.
In an effort to raise well-rounded and intelligent
children, many parents enroll their youngsters
in all sorts of extracurricular activities,
including sports leagues, travel teams, enrichment
clubs, and musical instruction. While
these activities benefit kids in myriad ways, it’s
also beneficial to let kids be kids and to provide
ample time for them to engage in free play.
According to the popular toy and learning
company Alex Brands, structured activities can
teach children how to follow rules and routines
and help them build developmental skills. But
free play can improve critical skills as well. One
of the biggest benefits to free play is it can foster
kids’ creativity and help kids discover their
interests on their own. Free play also helps children
learn independence and how to keep themselves
occupied.
The United Nations recognizes free play as a
basic right of every child and underscores its importance.
Despite this, unstructured play seems
to be on the decline, with more structured activities
taking over young children’s days.
Even in school settings free play has given
way to more time spent at desks and devices in
preparation for standardized testing. Recess,
which has been cut or reduced in many school
COURIER LIFE,32 DEC. 27, 2019-JAN. 2, 2020
districts, has become a hot-button issue for many
free play advocates. The development of Recess
for All Florida Students, as well as proposed legislation
in other states, has redirected attention
to free play and the importance of it. Recess is
a form of free play and provides students with a
break from the rigors of learning.
In a 2011 article in the American Journal of
Play, Peter Gray, Ph.D., a researcher at Boston
College, indicated that “lack of play affects emotional
development, leading to the rise of anxiety,
depression, and problems of attention and
self-control.” Gray also indicated that without
play, “young people fail to acquire the social and
emotional skills necessary for healthy psychological
development.”
Free play also can benefit youngsters in the
following ways:
• Enables kids to learn dexterity and improve
on other strengths;
• fulfills exercise requirements for growing
kids;
• helps kids conquer fears and develop confidence;
• establishes natural leadership roles and hierarchy
in social groups;
• contributes to emotional well-being by giving
children a respite from schedules; and
• helps teach self-responsibility, which may
translate to better behavior at home and in
school.
Free play is an important component of learning
and exploration for children. A mix of structured
and unstructured activities is key to raising
well-rounded individuals.
I recently attended some
college games in Brooklyn
and the Bronx that
included women’s basketball,
men’s basketball and
women’s volleyball. As I
watched and cheered from
the stands, I couldn’t help
but think about the discipline
it takes to balance
athletic and academic responsibilities.
To be a part of any organized
competitive sport
requires hours of training,
exercise and the ability to
prioritize. With 20 or more
hours a week dedicated to
a sport and pursuing a college
degree, little time is
left for anything else.
As we go into the new
year, we all can take a page
from the athletes’ playbook
about discipline, goal setting
and teamwork. Even
with all the pressures
that college athletes face
throughout the academic
year, many are able to perform
well in the classroom
and at their chosen sport.
Just as many of us set a
New Year’s resolution, college
athletes set goals in December
for the coming year
and stay focus by mapping
a plan of action, constantly
reviewing the actions and
working with their teammates
and coaches, who are
pushing them to achieve
their targets.
College athletes know
the importance of making
sure their goals are measurable
and obtainable, so
they choose classes based
on their schedule of practice.
This can be obtained
by taking classes on campus
and online. Also, adding
library hours at set
times a week forces athletes
to study on a schedule
so they are less distracted
by social activities.
According to the National
Collegiate Athletic
Association (NCAA) website
(NCAA.org), more than
460,000 NCAA student-athletes
compete in 24 sports
every year. Member schools
support their student-athletes’
academic success by
providing state-of-the-art
technology, tutoring and
access to academic advisors.
More than eight out
of 10 student-athletes will
earn a bachelor’s degree,
and more than 35 percent
will earn a postgraduate
degree.
There is an enormous
amount of pressure on college
athletes who are expected
to thrive in the classroom
and on the court. To
maintain intellectual, emotional,
and physical fitness,
it is imperative that their
college or university provide
support. Sports play
an important role in instilling
discipline, encouraging
teamwork and fostering
strategic thinking, and
these qualities are important
for students’ athletic
and academic success.
Dr. Claudia V. Schrader
is president of Kingsborough
Community College
(KCC), home of award-winning
athletic teams. Located
in beautiful Manhattan
Beach, Brooklyn, KCC
is committed to enhancing
learning opportunities for
the Brooklyn community
and student-athletes. Visit
www.kbcc.cuny.edu to learn
about our classes, certifications
and degree programs,
and our committed to the
promotion of excellence in
athletics and education.
EDUCAT I O N PROFI LE
Taking a Page from the College Athletes’ Playbook
for the New Year
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/www.kbcc.cuny.edu
/(NCAA.org
/www.kbcc.cuny.edu
