Children are naturally curious and inherently desire to explore the world and learn. However, many schools tend to squash this by exposing children to more rigid forms of learning that replace play-based hands-on learning with sitting still and learning via lectures. This has many downsides, but thankfully many private schools are embracing learning through play which provides many benefits to young students.
Meaningful Play
The best middle school is one that knows how children learn best, and this can usually be found in private schools which one in every 10 children attend. Schools like this take advantage of what is known as meaningful play.
This is a learning strategy that gives children a choice in what they want to do, which helps make learning fun, interesting, and flexible. Lessons thereby evolve more organically, rather than following a strict lesson plan that all children must adhere to. This allows children to follow their natural curiosities and learn freely in a risk-free environment that gives them the ability to experiment and critically think about new ideas.
How Do Children Learn Through Play?
Young children are full of energy and it’s important that this energy is guided beneficially. Children learn in a way that is different than older kids and adults, and this usually involves combining creative and logical thinking with physical and emotional development.
For example, when children take part in active imaginative play, they are fine-tuning their physical development, while also thinking about the character that they are portraying. Whether this is a favorite character or someone they just made up on the spot, they end up thinking critically about how this person would act and how they would interact with peers. This fosters socialization, exploration, and emotional growth in a fun and meaningful way. If you’re looking for the best middle school for your child, looking for one that emphasizes this type of learning can be a must.
Maximizing Learning
By allowing children to learn via playing in a hands-on way, learning can be turned into a collaborative effort that is more likely to be retained. For example, in the best private middle school, a teacher can read from a book and encourage children to follow along and turn the pages as they do. This way, students are given an active role to participate. Teachers can also prompt students to talk about the content they are covering by asking open-ended questions geared toward critical thinking and imagination.
Play is exceptionally important when it comes to learning, especially as young children are developing. If you are looking to ensure that your child can maximize their potential, look for ways to incorporate play into their lessons.
