Here are comments from exasperated kindergarten teachers throughout the country. From Peter Gray Ph.D. Freedom to Learn Last month I posted an article describing the stand that kindergarten teachers in Brookline, Massachusetts, took in protesting the policies imposed upon them from above—the excessive testing, dreary drill, and lack of opportunity for playful, creative, […]
Fairness makes play possible, and children learn fairness in play. From Peter Gray Ph.D. Freedom to Learn I am a long-time admirer of Marc Bekoff and his research on play among canids (wolves, coyotes, dogs and the like). I was happy, therefore, to see his recent Psychology Today blog post entitled When […]
Over the next few weeks, many preschoolers will meet their foundation teachers, spend some time in a classroom and hopefully make some new friends. from shutterstock.com The transition from preschool to school is a big deal for many children and parents. Over the next few weeks, many preschoolers will take part in […]
How can teachers bring common sense and compassion to education policy? The research is clear. Academic training in kindergarten has no long-term benefit. In fact, it has long-term harm. It does not reduce the education gap between rich and poor, which is the usual reason offered for such training. It slightly increases […]
A traditional maths problem involving pizza will be very far removed from real life. from shutterstock.com In real life, ordering pizza for a group of people involves having a conversation about what people like, how much they can eat, how much they want to spend and whether pineapple really belongs […]
When children write freely, they say they escape from everyday thinking. from shutterstock.com Ask a child why they write and you might receive a common response: the teacher told me to. Kids often lack confidence as writers and find it emotionally draining. The problem might be the classroom and its detachment from what writers […]
Nearly half of kids in a study were harmed by their peers. from shutterstock.com Many Australian students don’t know the difference between banter and bullying, with some saying they joke about wishing their friend would “drown” or “die in a car crash”. More than 800 Australian students aged 11-16 took […]
The Legacy Children should be seen, heard listened to and understood. If ignored or suppressed, they should inscribe their will across the skies of their time, forcing hypocrisy and inhumanity to confront the light of day. And only they shall determine their means. If they do not, when the architects […]
By Peter Gray Ph.D. / Freedom to Learn Ruby Lou and I were children when children were free. We reunited recently. I opened Chapter 1 of my book Free to Learn with the following paragraph: I’ve learned from hundreds of great teachers over the course of my life, but if I had to […]
Dads tend to engage in more active, physical play activities with their young children. Shutterstock/pyrozhenka Play is an important way for children to learn about the world around them. Through play, they learn cultural norms, socialisation guidelines and experiment with different ways to interact with their environment. But play between a father and […]