The Learning Center

Abstract

School needs to be fun. If children are to receive lasting learning, this is a basic requirement. Frequently I hear teachers say that they never have time to have fun with their classes any more. It is true. The demands on a teacher's time to teach a certain amount of subject matter are greater now than ever before, but I suggest that children learn faster and remember longer if play-time is extended. Not only is this true for learners of all ages but particularly for the learning disabled. I like to use playing with puppets as a way to reach the troubled child, the child with developmental delays, the child with learning problems or with children in general. To children universally, puppets become immediate friends. When I first began play, I had several problems to overcome with my students. The first one was the l-can't-dothat syndrome. I must admit this took me completely by surprise. Have we programmed our children into thinking that even a puppet must be made perfectly or not at all? How sad! What if the dog's ear looks lopsided and the duck's beak is not distinguishable? So what? I agree with William Purkey, Dean of Education at the University of North Carolina, who says, We need to teach our children that doing things well comes directly from doing things poorly.