I believe play make children learn better.

What's informal learning? It's when children learn through their own exploration and activity, as they follow their personal interests and grasp concepts naturally. Also referred to as "playful learning," it's what kids do best.

When I doing this course, I learn that children learn better when they engage in hand on learning. .Lessons from books are great, but children learn through play far better than they do in other forms. There are several reasons for this. Whenever the lecturer , told  that while it may appear that all children are doing is playing for fun, it is actually a much more important part of a child's developmental process. Playing is a very natural way for children to learn because it uses all of their senses. Playtime is also a cognitive learning exercise where children practice taking in information and organizing it to solve problems and understand their environment ,I always want to find about it.Do you want to know what I did? My kindergarten is more on drill with workbook  My classroom alway look so boring. My children alway look so bored or there will be day dreamer in the classroom. It  is because children have know chnace to explore or engage in learning process. So there is one  child in my classroom  who is still do not able to count in sequence.But other children are more advance then her,they able to do addition and subtraction.

What I did is carry out own research to see how the child learn better when they are given concrete activity.I come out with my own teaching material for the children. the next day ,during P.E time and teach her how to use it and make her to explore the material. Believe it or not she is able to count in sequence in the three count.She able to match the numeral to object. Then, I continue to use  the material to teach addition and subtraction. In a month she have pick up the concept . One day .morning ,her mother come to the classroom she hold my hand and thank me a lot. There come my principle to see what is happening in the classroom , the child's parent told to my principle"Madam, this teacher is really help my child to improve lot. She is great." Once again she thank me and leave the classroom happily. After, that my principle called me to the office. "I'm so proud that I have young teacher who are really showing the love and responsibility toward the    children. Well done." I feel so proud .

Even though my kindergarten are using  traditional method of teaching. I will still do some small game or come up with simple teaching aid related to the topic. I found children, are more actively engaging in the classroom activity .I never been stop on with it. I love to create teaching aid for children. I always read lot of article and book to find out on how to create teaching material that are appropriate for children. And like to use the material that I have created for assignment to evaluate with children. I love to do research on how to teach children with more appropriate lesson with teaching aid.From my experience, I found play is vital for children to learn .Play is a "brain food" to help brains develop in ways critical to school success. It provides the foundation for learning including language, reading, thinking and reasoning skills.The most authentic play experiences are child-initiated, freely chosen, and child powered. Such play is pleasurable and fun, active and mind absorbing. 
 http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1842248/the_secret_of_play_ann_pleshette_murphy/

CHITRA ARUJUNAN
SCSJ-0004150