Gross motor skill development and play directly impacts academical skills
Great focus is placed on gross motor skill development and play in early childhood development but as kids gets older, it is replaced with an overly structured curriculum and academia.
Motor development is important throughout a child's life, because physical development is tied to other development areas. For example, if a child is able to crawl or walk (gross motor skills), he/she can more easily explore their physical environment, which affects cognitive development.
Gross motor skill development directly impacts fine motor skills, and so also a child's academical capabilities. Writing, for example, is a fine motor skill, but many aspects of it hinge on gross motor movements. Students with poor gross motor development may have difficulty with activities such as writing, sitting up in an alert position, sitting erect to watch classroom activity, and writing on a whiteboard.
In one study looking at children with learning disabilities, researchers found poor gross motor skills were linked to learning lags, including problems with reading and math.
At Schoolhouse, we realise the importance of PLAY!
Play improves the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and young people. Through play, children learn about the world and themselves. They also learn skills they need for study, work and relationships such as: confidence, creativity, social development, etc.
Recess!!
Recess is one of the most important opportunities for children to play. Yet it is often the first to go when educators are looking for activities to cut. One study from the American Academy of Pediatrics even found that over the span of 10 years, the number of kindergarten classrooms with a recess period decreased from 96% to 70%!
It can be tempting for schools to shorten recess in favour of more academic time. But the benefits of recess and outdoor play in general mean we can’t afford to take them away. Physical activity, for example, leads to stronger brain function and ultimately gets children in a better mindset to learn.
Additionally, students on average have higher ratings from teachers on classroom behavior if they have free time to play. Moving from one academic subject to another all day doesn’t give children the time they need to recharge. And an absence of play can even lead to higher stress levels for children, making it all the more important for your students’ emotional health that recess be included.
Let them play!
The efficiency of homeschooling leaves time to spend broadening our students' learning. We can make more time for play, projects, experiments and the arts. Real-life skill building – including cooking, cleaning, volunteering and learning to budget – forms a part of our school day.
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