Browse Articles

June 2009

• Play Grows Young Minds in Scientific Fields

• States Commit to Pre-K Programs

• Elmo, Gordon, Sesame Workshop and the Ad Council Deliver an Important Message to Kids

• Sleep. Why It's Important for Kids

Play Grows Young Minds in Scientific Fields

To ensure that our nation nurtures a sufficient crop of future scientists, mathematicians and engineers, we need to put play back into the classroom according to an article in the latest issue of the American Journal of Play (a scholarly journal from Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York).

Most experts agree that children learn best while having fun through imaginative, self-directed play, says Doris Bergen, professor of educational psychology at Miami University. Play keeps the mind sharp (even for older adults) and helps humans to cope with change and deal with the unknown. Play offers humans an adaptability “that has helped us through the centuries to invent new ideas, products and behaviors.” And, play is an essential tool in developing young minds in scientific fields.

Bergen presents myriad examples of innovative or creative people in scientific fields whose accomplishments were attained as a result of playful opportunities in their early lives and careers. For example, recipients of the MacArthur Foundation “genius” awards, studied by Michelle and Robert Root Bernstein, reported “engaging in extensive imaginary wordplay in their childhood.” As one of the scientists in the study said, “It is necessary to imagine what needs to be discovered before discovery can be made.”

“Adults who have gone into scientific, mathematical and engineering fields were often great construction players as children,” observes Bergen, citing Frank Lloyd Wright’s early block-building experiences as a prime example. “The ‘worlds’ children construct, either with concrete materials such as blocks or interlocking pieces or with virtual-reality simulation games, give them the imaginative experiences and the interest in ‘seeing what might happen’ to prepare them to create new worlds of design in later work experience.’”

Other researchers have found that “teachers who enabled young people to follow their interests and who transmitted a joyful attitude toward learning were important influences on students’ long-term motivation to identify and pursue difficult problem solving – and later careers in mathematics.”

Standardized curricula in our nation’s grade schools run counter to playful learning, observes Bergen. Presently, “in most U.S. schools, the curriculum does not intentionally focus on playful learning, and sometimes play does not even occur on the school playground.” Even in the younger grades, current trends “are moving against playful learning.”

It is imperative that educators be reminded about the importance of playful learning in our schools, concludes Bergen. Children skilled at playful learning “will be more likely to demonstrate creativity and innovation in their adult computer-technology, scientific, mathematical and engineering professions.

The American Journal of Play provides thought-provoking content from some of the most prominent national researchers and writers in the field. Each issue is filled with articles, essay interviews and book reviews that explore the critical role of play in learning and human development. To view the most current issue’s table of contents, visit www.americanjournalofplay.org.

Strong National Museum of Play houses the world’s most comprehensive collection of dolls, toys, games and play-related artifacts, and is the only collections-based museum anywhere devoted solely to the critical role of play in learning and human development, and the ways in which play illuminates American cultural history. For more information, visit www.museumofplay.org.

States Commit to Pre-K Programs

Even as they confront significant economic challenges and cut spending, the majority of the nation’s governors are increasing or protecting state investments in pre-k programs, says Pre-K Now’s annual report, released in May. “Leadership Matters: Governors’ Pre-K Budget Proposals Fiscal Year 2010” evaluates budget proposals for the next year and governors’ remarks in recent state-of-the-state addresses to determine which leaders count voluntary, high-quality pre-k among their top education and economic development strategies.

The report criticizes New York Governor David Paterson’s decision to base FY10 pre-k funding on FY09 spending levels, essentially cutting Universal Pre-Kindergarten’s budget by nearly $50 million and halting the program’s growth. In contrast, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell made early education investments a priority by proposing a 10-percent funding increase for the Pre-K Counts initiative.

Other key findings include:
• Fourteen governors are proposing to increase investment in early education.
• Thirteen governors are proposing to “flat-fund” early education programs, preserving current investment levels.
• The governors of Alaska, North Dakota and Rhode Island – states that currently do not provide state-funded pre-k – are proposing new pre-k initiatives.
• The governors of Connecticut, Massachusetts, North Carolina and South Carolina, like Paterson, are proposing cuts to pre-k programs.
• Total proposed state investment in pre-k is 4 percent greater than FY09 appropriations (which were $5.2 billion in 43 states and the District of Columbia).
• If passed, these proposals would bring total state pre-k funding to $5.4 billion in 43 states and the District of Columbia in FY10.
• Facing one of the biggest budget shortfalls in the country, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine is calling for a 14 percent increase in pre-k investment, including the creation of an “incentive fund” to encourage school districts’ use of federal recovery funds to expand pre-k.

For more information about Pre-K Now, a campaign of the Pew Center on the States, visit www.preknow.org or www.pewcenteronthestates.org.

Elmo, Gordon, Sesame Workshop and the Ad Council Deliver an Important Message to Kids

A national public service advertising (PSA) campaign designed to encourage American families and children to take steps to protect themselves from the 2009 H1N1 flu virus was launched last month by the Department of Health & Human Services, the Ad Council and Sesame Workshop.

On June 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 6, reflecting the fact that there are now ongoing community level outbreaks in multiple parts of the world.

More than 70 countries are now reporting cases of human infection, but many of the cases reportedly had links to travel or were localized outbreaks without community spread.

The 2009 H1N1 flu virus is a new flu virus of swine origin that was first detected in April. The virus is spreading from person to person, sparking a growing outbreak of illness in the U.S. and internationally. Experts believe that it spreads in the same way that seasonal influenza viruses spread – primarily through the coughs and sneezes of people who are sick with the virus.

The PSA campaign focuses on the importance of providing parents, teachers and children with accurate information about how to practice healthy habits, highlighting hand washing and everyday actions that lead to staying healthy and keeping germs away. Created by Sesame Workshop, the television PSAs encourage audiences to visit www.cdc.gov to get more information on how to stay healthy.

The PSAs are an extension of Sesame’s Healthy Habits for Life initiative, which helps young children and their caregivers establish an early foundation of health habits. The Ad Council distributes the PSAs via satellite to television stations nationwide. Since the 1950s, the Ad Council has been partnering with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services to develop PSA campaigns that address critical health issues. Their successful collaborations have included public service messages about the polio epidemic, drug abuse and, more recently, obesity prevention.

A recent study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that preschoolers eat an average of 15 teaspoons of added sugar a day. The excessive sugar not only increases the risk of obesity, it negatively impacts mental capacity. Over 9 million elementary and high school students are overweight or obese, a number that’s tripled since 1980, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One-third of American children aged 4 to 19 eat fast food every day, which results in about 6 extra pounds per year.

Sleep. Why It’s Important for Kids

by Kari Anderson

Just like good nutrition, the importance of sleep cannot be overrated when it comes to kids’ health and performance in school. From poorer test scores to excessive weight gain, a lack of sleep is taking its toll.
Children can experience a variety of ramifications from lack of sleep: They may get hyper, become disagreeable, exhibit extremes in behavior, or have a harder time falling asleep (if they’re overtired). A child with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) who is sleep-deprived may find that the ADD symptoms are exacerbated.

KidsHealth.org, a website created by the Nemours Foundation’s Center for Children’s Health Media, outlines the amount of sleep required at different developmental stages in its article “All About Sleep.” While there is no exact prescription for sleep, the required amount generally falls within the following ranges.

Birth to 3 months: 16 to 20 hours per day, divided equally between day and night

3 to 6 months: five hours during the day and 10 hours at night

6 to 12 months: three hours during the day and 11 hours at night

1 to 3 years: 10 to 13 hours, may begin to give up naps

3 to 5 years: 10 to 12 hours, if rest at night is adequate, naps aren’t needed although schools may offer brief rest periods

6 to 9 years: 10 hours per night

10 to 12 years: a little over 9 hours per night

Teens: 8 to 9.5 hours per night

We all could use a little extra sleep. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends the following tips for creating healthy sleep habits.

Don’t go to bed unless you are sleepy.

If you are not asleep after 20 minutes, then get out of the bed.

Begin rituals that help you relax each night before bed.

Get up at the same time every morning.

Get a full night’s sleep on a regular basis.

Get enough sleep so that you feel well rested nearly every day.

Avoid taking naps if you can, or make sure they are less than one hour and never after 3 p.m.

Keep a regular schedule to maintain your inner body clock.

Don’t read, write, eat, watch TV, talk on the phone, or play cards
in bed.

Do not have any caffeine after lunch.

Do not have a beer, a glass of wine, or any other alcohol within six
hours of your bedtime.

Do not have a cigarette or any other source of nicotine before  
bedtime.

Do not go to bed hungry, but don’t eat a big meal near bedtime either.

Avoid any tough exercise within six hours of your bedtime.

Avoid sleeping pills, or use them cautiously.

Try to get rid of or deal with things that make you worry.

Make your bedroom quiet, dark, and a little bit cool.