The Power of Play: How Imaginative, Spontaneous Activities Lead to Healthier and Happier Children by David Elkind

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(Hardcover)

  • Pub. Date: January 2007
  • 240pp
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    Product Details

    • Pub. Date: January 2007
    • Publisher: Da Capo Press
    • Format: Hardcover, 240pp

    Synopsis

    In modern childhood, free, unstructured play time is being replaced more and more by academics, lessons, competitive sports, and passive, electronic entertainment. While parents may worry that their children will be at a disadvantage if they are not engaged in constant, explicit learning or using the latest "educational" games, David Elkind's The Power of Play reassures us that unscheduled imaginative play goes far in preparing children for academic and social success. Through expert analysis of the research and powerful situational examples, Elkind shows that, indeed, creative spontaneous activity best sets the stage for academic learning in the first place: Children learn mutual respect and cooperation through role-playing and the negotiation of rules, which in turn prepare them for successful classroom learning; in simply playing with rocks, for example, a child could discover properties of counting and shapes that are the underpinnings of math; even a toddler's babbling is a necessary precursor to the acquisition of language. An important contribution to the literature about how children learn, The Power of Play suggests ways to restore play's respected place in children's lives, at home, at school, and in the larger community. In defense of unstructured "down time," it encourages parents to trust their instincts and resist the promise of the wide and dubious array of educational products on the market geared to youngsters.

    Akron Beacon Journal

    Every parent should read this book...[Elkind] makes a coherent, readable and...fascinating case for adults who are childhood-friendly.

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    Biography

    David Elkind, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus at Tufts University and the author of a dozen books, including The Hurried Child and All Grown Up and No Place to Go. He lives outside of Boston and on Cape Cod.

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    Play- It's So Important to Children!by Anonymous

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    March 19, 2009: The Power of Play: How Spontaneous, Imaginative Activities Lead to Happier, Healthier Children is a greatly written book by David Elkind. I chose this book because I was very interested in how play affects young children. I am working toward becoming a teacher for young children and someday wish to become a parent. This book has opened my eyes and will help me become a better parent and teacher. I realized through Elkind's writing that play is essential to young children's social and cognitive development. I will be sure to incorporate play into my children's daily activities. Elkind does a great job in presenting his points through his thorough research and great examples. This book is well worth reading for parents and teachers. It will completely open your eyes to the power of play!- OSU Comp Student 2009