Dear Parents
I found this at the following web sight. I think it explains the WHY? of many
of the activities that we have in Kindergarten. If you want to see the
entire article go to:
http://users.stargate.net/~cokids/Borden.html


Free-Play Activities
Free play sounds vague, but is very much a planned activity. The child has
the freedom to choose among many different activities, but the teacher has
created the classroom environment and arranged the choices the child will
find. Free play is not time off for the teacher. On the contrary, I will
be paying close attention to the children, interacting with them, offering
guidance and help where necessary, noting progress and difficulties.
Here are some of the activities that a child may choose during the free-play
period.

Building with Blocks
There's so much going on in the block corner that it's easy to understand why
it is often the most popular area in the kindergarten classroom. It can also
become the focus of incredible territorial struggles. Sometimes groups of
children begin to act as if they own the space. Often boys dominate the area,
making it difficult for girls (or boys who aren't members of the block
clique) to enter. One study suggests that if a teacher positions herselfin
the block corner for part of the day, girls are more likely to enter and use
the area.
Building with blocks is lots of fun--and it teaches many skills that children
will use later. One study indicates that many of the concepts learned from
block building are the foundation for more advanced science comprehension.
For example, a child learns about gravity, stability, weight, balance, and
systems from building with blocks. Through trial and error, she learns
inductive thinking, discovery, the properties of matter, and the interaction
of forces. One researcher suggested that one reason you see fewer girls
inadvanced placement physics classes in high school is because they are
excluded (intentionally or unintentionally) from many of the "play"
activities that build scientific framework.
What's Learned Blocks help children learn scientific, mathematical, art,
social studies, and language concepts; use small-motor skills; and foster
competence and self-esteem. Building with blocks also teaches life skills.
Just putting away your groceries in the cupboard is using the same concepts
of spatial relations, stability, and balance that you learned in the block
corner.
Besides the scientific concepts discussed in the previous paragraph, blocks
also are important in developing math skills. A child learns about depth,
width, height, length, measurement, volume, area, classification, shape,
symmetry, mapping, equality (same as), and inequality (more than, less than)--
all from building with blocks.
Building with blocks also teaches art concepts such as patterns, symmetry,
and balance. A child learns about symbolic representation, interdependence of
people, mapping, grids, patterns, people and their work. A child gains
prereading skills such as shape recognition, differentiation of shapes, size
relations. Language is enhanced as children talk about how to build, what
they built, what is its function or ask questions about concepts or
directions. And dramatic play is also a part of block building as children
create stories to go along with their constructions.
Finally, building with blocks fosters a feeling of competence, teaches
cooperation and respect for the work of others, encourages autonomy and
initiative.
It's not just building with blocks that is educational--so is cleanup.
Sorting and storing blocks teaches classification and one-to-one
correspondence, which are important math skills.

Dramatic Play
The housekeeping/dress-up corner should be stocked with play items and props
that encourage young children to play make-believe. Look for pots and pans,
stuffed animals, dolls (soft, unbreakable, washable, and multiethnic), toy
telephones, hats, purses and tote bags, unbreakable tea sets, doll beds and
carriages.
What's Learned Playing make-believe lets a child bring the complicated grown-
up world down to size. Research demonstrates that children who are active in
pretend play are usually more joyful and cooperative, more willing to share
and take turns, and have larger vocabularies than children who are less
imaginative.
Imaginative play helps youngsters to concentrate, to be attentive, and to use
self-control. Think about how a child develops a game of supermarket. He must
first set up the counter, put out the pretend cans of food, invite friends to
shop, use the "cash register," and bag the groceries. All of these actions
help a child to learn about sequential acts. He also has a story or script in
mind that helps him to perform each of these steps in a logical and orderly
way.
When children pretend they also learn to be flexible, substituting objects
for those they do not have. For example, a child will use an empty paper
towel roll for a telescope.
Through imaginative play, children learn empathy for others. Children will
often act out a whole range of emotions when playing pretend, offering
sympathy for a stuffed "doggie" that is hurt or for a doll that fell off a
chair. We watch them scold a puppet for being naughty or tell a doll how
proud they are because she used the potty.
Dramatic play encourages children to think abstractly, which is an important
prereading skill. Children come to understand that words represent ideas.

Manipulative Toys
Children enjoy playing with a variety of toys that helps develop their fine-
motor control. These toys include Legos, Bristle Blocks, Play-Doh, Peg-
Boards, large beads to thread, and stacking and nesting materials.
What's Learned Manipulative toys help develop a child's fine-motor skills,
which is a precursor to being able to write. Often these toys are also used
in fantasy play. The beads that are strung become the necklace forthe "queen"
to wear. The Play-Doh creations include cookies for the impromptu "tea party."

Cooperative Play
During the kindergarten day, you should see children who are playing by
themselves, but you should also see cooperative play, small groups or even
the class as a whole working on a project. The amount of cooperative play
increases as the children grow older. Some of this play may be child
initiated, and some may be teacher directed.
What's Learned Working together, whether it's on a block building or planning
a tea party, helps children to learn to respect the ideas of others. They
develop their social skills, and social competence is an underlying goal of
early childhood education. Children in cooperative play learn to contribute
to joint efforts. They also learn how to problem solve by working together to
find a solution.

Puzzles
The classroom should have puzzles that vary in complexity, five-piece
puzzles, as well as 12-piece puzzles, and puzzles made of different
materials. You should also find puzzles that interlock and those that have
individual slots for pieces (for example, a five-piece puzzle of five
individual animals).
What's Learned Puzzles require abstract thinking: the ability to see a space
and envision what belongs there. Puzzles also require fine-motor control in
order to place the pieces into place. Having puzzles for varied skill levels
permits children at all stages of development to experience success.

Books
The book corner should have books reflecting a range of levels. There should
be simple board books, as well as picture books with a story line. The area
should be comfortable, carpeted, and perhaps lined with pillows. It should be
a place where a young child can go and look through books by himself--as well
as a meeting place for story time for the class.
What's Learned Children learn language skills from books. Whether they are
looking at a book individually, or being read to as part of a group, when you
make books a part of a young child's day you set the stage for a lifelong
interest in reading.

Cleanup
Children don't yet know that grown-ups consider cleaning a nuisance. For
them, it's another fun activity. It's not a question of efficiency. It's
tempting sometimes for grown-ups to do the task themselves, rather than
exercise the patience it requires to help a child through a chore. But
allowing the young child to put away the blocks, wipe down the tables, and
put the toys back on the shelves is a valuable educational exercise.
What's Learned Children learn to sort, classify, match, and organize when
they put the toys back on the shelf. A good kindergarten classroom will have
low shelves and individual bins for small toys, so that the young child can
easily see where objects belong. The bins will be labeled (which helps
develop language skills).

Children learn that helping behaviors and orderliness are valued. They see
that it's important to take care of their environment and that it's easier to
find what you want when you put it back in its designated place. Cleaning up
teaches self-discipline. Children learn how to follow simple directions.
Working together as a class to clean up their room is another exercise in
cooperation. As they work alongside their teacher and classmates, chatting
and discussing the best way to approach the cleanup effort, language and
social skills are being practiced. Children also enjoy feeling competent,
independent, and responsible. With the instant feedback of a clean room and a
job well done, a youngster's self-esteem is enhanced.
AUTHOR
Marian Edelman Borden is a professional writer and Journalist. A frequent
contributor to magazines featuring early childhood education, her articles
have appeared in American Baby, Healthy Kids, Parenting, Barney Family,
Sesame Street, and the New York Times. She is also the author of In Addition
to Tuition (Facts On File, 1996). Ms. Borden lives in Larchmont, NewYork.
Copyright © 1997 Marian Edelman Borden