Thesis Writing

I'm on the verge of having the words to write the last part of the research section of my thesis. It should have been done by last Monday, but I didn't have the words then. I think I might now.

I'm not sure why this part has been so much more difficult for me. The first part was really general, a commentary of why art is beneficial to children in the classroom, and in what way art broadens the mind and teaches something the three "R's" cannot.

The second part was targeting a younger age group (like my group) and more specifically about play. A little more specific topic than "art", but still a general argument for play, referencing studies that have been done throughout the last century on the benefit of play.

My intention for the third, and last, section that I'm writing now is more specific, to give detail on WHY play is beneficial, what the children learn through play, and why it is a valid preschool curriculum. I am arguing that play, given the right materials and environment, can be MORE educational than teaching the alphabet and numbers to a three-year-old, without actually denouncing academic programs.

I don't want to start an argument with the rather large segment of the population that believes that if children learn their alphabet at three, they can learn to read at four, and be reading at a fifth grade level by six. Every child is different, and I'm sure there are some that flourish in this environment. I am trying to present an alternative to rushing children into something they may not be ready for, and explain why it is just as good, if not better, for the child to wait. And play.

This information is something I've searched for (although not ferociously), for the last three years or so. I've learned a lot about developmentally appropriate methods of teaching young children in the various child development classes I've taken since getting into this field. More compellingly, I've heard many experts with incredible credentials talk about the brain development in young children, and how they need certain experiences in order to develop the the ABILITY to read and write.

With all the time I've spent learning something that isn't readily available to the average parent, I'd like to write something FOR parents that easily and convincingly explains what I've learned, backed by "experts" that will hopefully balance out the peer pressure that parents get to have the best, smartest, most talented, exceptional student.

However, because I have specific goals in mind for this section, it seems more difficult to achieve just the right materials. I've been fishing around for a while at trying to explain the collection of evidence I've heard from many different sources without really being able to succinctly compile a compelling argument. It sounds so logical and clear when I hear it, but it somehow gets jumbled and incoherent when I try to pass it on.

I think that's why I've been having such a difficult time writing this section. I want it to be JUST SO, and am scared I won't be able to get across what I want to. Anyway, I'll never know until I try so I guess I should stop writing here, and beginning writing there!

I have a dream...

I am in the process of researching the next part of my master's thesis. This section is about the importance of play as an educational "curriculum" for early childhood education, and why it is important. I'm reading a lot of books. I haven't gotten yet to the point where I can start writing, which is causing a bit of panic (as it's due next Monday), but I am gaining some valuable lessons from the materials I've read so far.

Basically, I am trying to argue that children NEED uninhibited, unstructured play time, with the proper resources to develop their minds and bodies, in lieu of learning the alphabet and their numbers before the age of five. That the seemingly random play of childhood is working to grow the brain, build social skills, provide large and small motor activity to build strong bodies, and establish a means of working through the complexities of life in a non-threatening environment. Granted, play is important after five, but I'm arguing in favor of PLAYschools instead of PREschools.

Interestingly, the more I read, the more convinced I am that urban children, and my own in particular, are not getting what they need from their environment. Everything I have read tells me that my son doesn't have the necessary space, materials, and time to play like he should.

I went to visit a preschool in a nearby town, operated by a nationally renowned advocate of play, and almost wept at the possibilities and opportunities that most of the kids I know are missing out on. I wish I could provide this environment for even the kids in my care, but I am limited by space and carpet. I'm getting there, though. I'm adding things, little by little.

But not on the scale I'd love to see available to kids. Especially kids in these urban/suburban areas that don't get opportunity for uninhibited play. Either because they live on tiny lots, or because their "free" time is filled with structured activities they "need" to do, or because they aren't given the permission to get down and dirty, or any of the many reasons there are for busy parents, these kids are missing out.

I have a dream of offering something like this to kids in my neighborhood. Either on a small scale (a small preschool), or a large scale (full child care center), I want to give these kids an opportunity to play. One day, somehow, I'll make it happen. Hopefully before my son is too old to benefit from it.