Article
Learning through play and learning to play: An approach for all children
Learning through play, if expanded to include support for learning to play, can provide a framework for how best to unlock the potential of all children- including children with disabilities.
For children with disabilities, learning through play goes hand-in-hand with learning to play. In 1892, educators at the Perkins School for the Blind reflected that learning is, “…carrying the fresh and natural ways of childhood into manhood; charming the pupil onward ever by the glow of discovery, making the old humdrum lesson new as the things the boy learns in the surprise of play.” In 2017, Lego’s Learning through Play concept reimagined learning in terms of five skills for holistic development, and play that should be joyful, active, meaningful, iterative, and social.
In an article titled Learning through play and learning to play: An approach for all children [1], experts from Perkins School for the Blind explain that if expanded to include support for learning to play, learning through play can provide a framework for how best to unlock the potential of all children- including children with disabilities and developmental delays. When we unlock the power of all children, we can rebuild the world.
[1] Hudson, L., Gleason, D., Holland, K., Udovicic, D., Shevde, S., Gissara, D., & Arnott, J. (2022). Learning through play and learning to play: An approach for all children. Forthcoming.
