Growing Minds Review

In Video 13, “Growing Minds,” Joanne Hendrick describes the importance of play in learning and its role in the development of a child and their mind. Play is a great way for a child to learn skills including social skills, analytical skills, and responsibility. One way to incorporate play in the classroom is through emergent learning. This is where the teachers learning plan is interactive and is flexible. It is guided by children’s responses and makes the kids the problem solvers with a little guidance from the teacher. It also validates a child’s value, as they are able to come up with their own ideas and be confident in who they are and their choices. Its important that this is incorporated, because self-worth is what allows the students to open up to the challenges of learning and problem solving. To help emphasize this leaning and provide security that their child is learning, parents should be involved too. When parents can see their kids learning through play, they tend to get excited and even enhance the child’s learning by coming up with their own ideas of how to engage their child at home.

I agree with the video and think that children should be valued. When children feel like they have a voice and that they belong they tend to engage in activities more, and this will ensure that they participate in more learning. Allowing kids to make decisions and problem solve on their own, as oppose to telling them how to do everything, ensures that they really learn the information and are more stimulated and engaged. I think that this was an excellent film and it really helped me to better understand child