Knowing How Preschoolers Learn is Important to Early Childhood Development

The finest preschools use play-based activities to teach young children. They understand that although children learn in many ways, young children tend to be highly active learners. They need to be left to work through the many uses of the objects they encounter to learn effectively.


Although it may not look like it, every activity teaches a child something new. Parents need not be concerned as to why their preschoolers are playing instead of learning their A, B, and C’s. A play focused curriculum allows a toddler to participate in all activities and learn at a pace that is most comfortable for them. These lessons on how to interact with the world around them are critical to the development of life skills including patience, generosity, leadership, & friendship while providing a solid foundation for more advanced learning.

You may be wondering – how is it possible that my child is learning when all I see them do in the classroom is knock over a block tower or play with toys? For a preschooler, play teaches cause and effect, fine motor skills, critical thinking, and more. Furthermore, young children learn through interacting and playing with other children, whether in a group or individually. In fact, because play is so crucial to early learning, most preschool programs incorporate plenty of opportunities to play with different objects and activities throughout the day.

Examples of children learning through play include using blocks, cooking, magnetic letters, creating puzzles, using play dough, shaving cream to learn shapes, colors, letters, reading and math. Play-based learning will naturally help preschoolers practice key skills that will not only increase their knowledge base but also build their self-confidence. Play to learn will prepare preschoolers for their eventual entry into the more formal instruction when they enter kindergarten and beyond.

A play-based curriculum does not mean the children are left to run wild in the classroom. Our great preschool teachers are directing, observing, assisting, supporting and monitoring each individual preschooler as they play and learn. Additionally, the best teachers will observe their class at play in order to be certain that the “play-learning” curriculum is working with their students.

If it is working – great! If not even a play-learn curriculum can be fixed just a bit in order to make it work. This flexibility helps young learners develop a love for learning and exploration because they can discover new things at their own pace with the loving guidance of a caring teacher.