“ The importance of being little “

” Trusting relationships with instructors and an active learning environment that incorporates play are key to a child’s development.

You might not think that the time you spent playing at recess taught you anything. But the truth is that play is a fantastic way for children to learn – and the best part is they actually enjoy it.
So, while there’s a common misconception that play is the opposite of book learning, play actually serves a critical function in the development of children. For instance, play is essential to building cognitive abilities like memory.
As a result, play is utilized by virtually all mammals to build survival skills. In fact, more intelligent mammals like chimps and elephants play even more than others. Much like humans, they rely less on instincts and more on learning through practice and experience.
As well as an environment that facilitates play, it is vital that trust can built up between teachers and children. A strong relationship between a teacher and child will produce a more positive learning experience as the child interacts freely with the teacher and the subject they are teaching.
For example, a teacher might present a question to the class, perhaps related to something a pupil has asked about. The teacher can then urge the children to come up with an answer together. The instructor can help by reiterating knowledge the children already have while making sure that the kids lead the discussion.
Essentially, instead of teaching kids the answer, the instructor actively involves the students in figuring it out. This technique works well across learning levels; the simple fact is that putting the engagement of students first helps them develop at their own speed.
It’s clear that young children are much more capable of self-motivated learning than we once thought. Even so, we still struggle to apply this knowledge to education, largely due to poor funding.”

From a book of Erika Christakis