Our Children
Children are natural learners. By observing how the world around them operates, they instinctively become curious about cause and effect. As they progress through to adolescence from childhood, their minds are constantly analysing and concluding on what they observe(1). Our job as parents and educators is to provide children with the best possible tools and skills to kick-start their own individual life-long journey of learning. The 5 generally accepted learning domains are Science, Mathematics, Language, Health and Creativity. However, the challenge that parents are facing nowadays isn’t a lack of knowledge – it’s a lack of time.
The Impacts of Technology
How many times have you walked into a café or restaurant, only to see a family sitting together with both parents using their phones, and their kids staring at an iPad to pass the time? The issue of time has been ‘solved’ by technology. This creates a cause for concern, considering that most parents are not truly aware of the potential consequences that could arise from this seemingly simple solution. Studies conducted in 2017 concluded that,
“… kids under two years old ‘learn less from television than from real-life experiences’” (2)
Evidence suggests that a lack of real stimulation in early childhood can lead to complex psychological issues appearing later in life(3). However, knowing what we know now, we must be able to keep things in perspective – technology is here to stay.
Learn to Play ↔ Play to Learn
Our philosophy at Piptree has always stemmed from one simple concept – young children learn to play, and play to learn. By utilising fun, educational toys, we can keep a child engaged and ‘quiet’, whilst at the same time stimulating all of the right areas in their brain that will assist them in developing at an appropriate rate. The idea of focusing on 5 interdependent learning domains originates from our desire to see that all children develop into well-rounded, critical thinking individuals.
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References:
- Kushnir, T. 2010. Cornell University College of Human Ecology Human Development. Learning about how young children learn. (Link)
- Ferreras, J. 2018. Global News. Kids under 2 should have no screen time. These ones get up to 30 minutes a day: study. (Link)
- Hawley, T. 2000. The Ounce. How Early Experiences Affect Brain Development. (Link)