U.S. preschoolers are not busy little bees
Preschool-age children should get 120 minutes per day of physical activity, according to the National Assn. for Sport and Physical Education. About half of those minutes should be structured and half unstructured. Clearly, adults need to lead structured activities and encourage children to play on their own as well. Early childhood educators, however, have placed a sharp emphasis on school readiness, such as preparing young children to begin reading. But, ... Full Story »
Posted by Dale Penn
This article brings attention to a national bias towards school-based learning for very young children. Measures and expectations for literacy activities for 3 and 4 year olds prevail, often replacing free-play and reducing gross motor activities to 20 minutes in the gym or playground. A call for unstructured outdoor play has been made by child development specialists but in the age of high-stakes school testing, largely unheard.