WEBVTT 00:00:04.440 --> 00:00:08.460 Hello and welcome to Blooming Curious, a podcast that's all about 00:00:08.460 --> 00:00:13.320 nurturing that natural curiosity in our early years kids and students. 00:00:13.770 --> 00:00:18.030 I'm Edwina, your host from the Ed Lessons blog, A passionate advocate for 00:00:18.030 --> 00:00:22.740 play and inquiry, and on a mission to keep children curious and questioning. 00:00:23.220 --> 00:00:25.650 The days of talk and talk are over. 00:00:26.040 --> 00:00:28.680 We're diving into the world of integrated. 00:00:28.765 --> 00:00:33.055 Inquiry and nature-based learning and exploring the strategies 00:00:33.055 --> 00:00:34.765 that create lifelong learners. 00:00:35.185 --> 00:00:39.925 So if you're a classroom or homeschool educator or even a curious parent, 00:00:40.225 --> 00:00:42.115 then this is the place for you. 00:00:42.865 --> 00:00:46.105 Hello and welcome to another episode of Blooming Curious. 00:00:46.644 --> 00:00:50.275 I feel I must warn you that today's episode is one that 00:00:50.275 --> 00:00:52.465 gets me pretty fired up. 00:00:53.155 --> 00:00:55.765 We're going to be talking about lay. 00:00:56.895 --> 00:01:01.394 There is so much evidence all over the internet from different researchers 00:01:01.394 --> 00:01:05.865 reporting the benefits of play for children's social, emotional, 00:01:06.195 --> 00:01:08.535 physical, and cognitive development. 00:01:10.035 --> 00:01:16.365 The hedging a Report, which is a nonprofit newsroom, reports and education. 00:01:16.845 --> 00:01:20.865 They discussed the work of a psychiatrist by the name of Dr. 00:01:20.865 --> 00:01:23.985 Stewart Brown, who in 1966. 00:01:24.585 --> 00:01:29.295 Led an investigation into what sparked a Texas student, Charles 00:01:29.295 --> 00:01:31.455 Whitman into killing 12 people. 00:01:32.055 --> 00:01:34.485 It was one of America's first mass shootings. 00:01:35.235 --> 00:01:41.385 When Dr. Brown started investigating, he found that this Whitman and other men 00:01:41.385 --> 00:01:46.935 incarcerated in Texas, Huntsville prison for homicide, had one thing in common. 00:01:47.715 --> 00:01:51.705 These men were all deprived of play as children. 00:01:52.380 --> 00:01:56.820 There was a suppression of normal play behavior while growing up. 00:01:57.870 --> 00:02:02.760 While play deprivation on its own was not the cause of the homicides committed 00:02:02.760 --> 00:02:08.039 by these individuals, the deprivation of play did shape their development. 00:02:08.880 --> 00:02:10.650 Allow me to quote Dr. Brown. 00:02:11.790 --> 00:02:18.930 He said the presence or absence of play, particularly in child development, has 00:02:18.930 --> 00:02:21.270 a great deal to do with competency. 00:02:21.690 --> 00:02:26.160 Resiliency, emotional health and brain size. 00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:33.150 Brown said play is not frivolous, and not just for kids, but something that 00:02:33.150 --> 00:02:36.030 is an inherent part of human nature. 00:02:37.260 --> 00:02:42.210 As early childhood educators, we learn about the benefits of play and how to 00:02:42.210 --> 00:02:45.240 teach with play and make learning playful. 00:02:45.885 --> 00:02:50.265 And right now there's a small but active movement to bring 00:02:50.265 --> 00:02:52.454 play back into classrooms. 00:02:53.055 --> 00:02:53.954 But here's the rub. 00:02:54.704 --> 00:02:58.335 Although we all know the importance of play and its positive impact on 00:02:58.335 --> 00:03:03.405 children's development and learning, there is still not enough provision 00:03:03.405 --> 00:03:05.445 made for play in our schools. 00:03:05.775 --> 00:03:10.185 With bureaucratic pressures on teachers for testing and face-to-face 00:03:10.185 --> 00:03:15.045 teaching time, we know full well that children learn while they are playing. 00:03:15.435 --> 00:03:19.125 Yet, children are still not afforded enough time to play. 00:03:20.024 --> 00:03:24.195 We also know that parts of a child's brain that most actively develops 00:03:24.195 --> 00:03:29.834 in the early years are those parts that respond to active experiences 00:03:30.105 --> 00:03:32.174 when they're actually doing things. 00:03:32.894 --> 00:03:38.445 Children's brains are structured to learn by doing first, not by watching 00:03:38.445 --> 00:03:40.890 screens or listening to us, lecture them. 00:03:41.940 --> 00:03:46.290 We know that children's brains learn by developing schema, and 00:03:46.290 --> 00:03:49.650 schema is built through experiences. 00:03:50.250 --> 00:03:53.730 And I'll link to a blog post in the show notes where I have discussed the 00:03:53.730 --> 00:03:56.070 development of schema in a previous post. 00:03:57.030 --> 00:04:01.680 And when we look at statistics around play, they are quite staggering. 00:04:02.745 --> 00:04:09.045 Appalled by the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, they found 94% of parents 00:04:09.045 --> 00:04:13.485 recognize the importance of play on children's physical and brain development. 00:04:14.025 --> 00:04:21.915 Yet only 45% of children play outdoors on most days, and 32% of parents say 00:04:21.915 --> 00:04:25.065 that risk is not a good idea in play. 00:04:26.385 --> 00:04:31.965 Just about everyone everywhere recognizes the importance of play 00:04:31.965 --> 00:04:35.985 for children's, social, emotional, physical, and cognitive health. 00:04:36.645 --> 00:04:41.205 Yet children's access to play and play experiences are changing in 00:04:41.205 --> 00:04:46.815 our increasingly organized and technological society, and with 00:04:46.815 --> 00:04:51.945 even fewer children having access to unsupervised free play nature. 00:04:52.335 --> 00:04:57.435 And of course COVID, that was a major disruptor of play, and so many children 00:04:57.435 --> 00:05:01.755 are still feeling the effects of isolation and the inability to socialize 00:05:01.755 --> 00:05:04.335 and play freely outdoors with friends. 00:05:06.075 --> 00:05:09.675 Another alarming fighting in this report is that less than half, 00:05:09.675 --> 00:05:13.935 that's 45% of children play outdoors. 00:05:14.475 --> 00:05:19.034 31% of children play outdoors at home, and yet the most common 00:05:19.034 --> 00:05:21.675 type of play was any takers. 00:05:22.425 --> 00:05:29.685 Digital with a whopping 54% of children being on some kind of a device. 00:05:30.344 --> 00:05:34.844 Digital play was the most common form of play among teenagers, a whopping 00:05:34.844 --> 00:05:43.875 70%, 57% of primary age children, and 27% of toddlers and preschoolers. 00:05:43.965 --> 00:05:48.375 27% of toddlers and preschoolers were on a device. 00:05:49.875 --> 00:05:53.595 Am I the only one that finds these statistics worrying? 00:05:55.095 --> 00:05:56.685 So what are the implications? 00:05:57.405 --> 00:06:02.025 And as I said before, we already know that plays vital to a child's learning 00:06:02.025 --> 00:06:06.615 and development in early childhood play is the strongest form of learning. 00:06:07.185 --> 00:06:10.365 This has been found to be true in study after study. 00:06:10.725 --> 00:06:15.015 Not only does play allow children to develop their skills around language, 00:06:15.465 --> 00:06:20.145 problem solving and collaboration and critical thinking and investigation, 00:06:20.835 --> 00:06:24.945 but it also allows children to express themselves creatively through their 00:06:24.945 --> 00:06:27.675 curiosity and imaginative play. 00:06:28.035 --> 00:06:31.420 And they learn to interact in socially acceptable ways with others. 00:06:32.595 --> 00:06:35.865 And when it comes to risky play, our society has become 00:06:35.865 --> 00:06:37.215 increasingly risk averse. 00:06:37.800 --> 00:06:42.240 There's often confusion when it comes to finding a balance between keeping kids 00:06:42.240 --> 00:06:44.790 safe and allowing them to take risks. 00:06:45.570 --> 00:06:50.849 Risk is an important part of play and growing up, once read to study somewhere 00:06:50.849 --> 00:06:55.950 that said that the reason that so many teens and young adults take massive risks 00:06:55.950 --> 00:07:00.120 that lead to terrible consequences, just think about driving or jumping off high 00:07:00.120 --> 00:07:02.820 cliffs that can be attributed to them. 00:07:02.820 --> 00:07:05.664 Never having access to small risks as children. 00:07:07.679 --> 00:07:11.400 The kind of risk I'm talking about here is managed risk. 00:07:12.270 --> 00:07:16.200 Children love to climb, for example, they like to build forts. 00:07:16.200 --> 00:07:17.369 They like to be high. 00:07:17.369 --> 00:07:18.780 They love flying foxes. 00:07:19.349 --> 00:07:23.609 I think as adults it doesn't help a child when we ban things or certain 00:07:23.609 --> 00:07:27.900 play equipment, when we are providing play equipment, it's just our job to 00:07:27.900 --> 00:07:31.469 ensure that it's safe and that children can't cut themselves, for example. 00:07:31.980 --> 00:07:33.750 To provide the appropriate surface. 00:07:33.750 --> 00:07:36.630 Not going to install monkey bars in a concrete slab. 00:07:36.630 --> 00:07:37.140 Are you? 00:07:38.220 --> 00:07:42.330 You want to encourage children to climb and be able to run and ride 00:07:42.330 --> 00:07:46.290 bikes and experience speed like rolling down a hill, or balancing 00:07:46.290 --> 00:07:48.360 on stepping stones or tree stumps. 00:07:48.960 --> 00:07:51.090 What about the sheer enjoyment of a swing? 00:07:51.720 --> 00:07:52.260 Falling off? 00:07:52.260 --> 00:07:55.500 A swing might result in a broken arm, but broken arms can heal. 00:07:56.100 --> 00:07:59.250 So perhaps conclusion is not banning swings, but. 00:07:59.520 --> 00:08:03.330 Perhaps placing them appropriately or perhaps installing those platform 00:08:03.330 --> 00:08:07.440 type ones where multiple children can enjoy the ride simultaneously and still 00:08:07.440 --> 00:08:10.350 experience that exhilaration of speed. 00:08:11.220 --> 00:08:12.210 Then there are tools. 00:08:12.960 --> 00:08:17.130 If we want children to experience tools safely, we need to expose them to it. 00:08:17.610 --> 00:08:21.090 Children love building things like forts and dens. 00:08:22.979 --> 00:08:27.210 They use wooden poles and sheets and rope and all sorts of materials to 00:08:27.210 --> 00:08:29.489 construct really complex structures. 00:08:30.239 --> 00:08:34.559 In fact, it's not uncommon to see children in Norwegian settings using real 00:08:34.559 --> 00:08:39.120 tools to construct their dens, things like real hammers and saws and nails. 00:08:39.240 --> 00:08:42.959 You can just imagine how the experience of using real tools gives 00:08:42.959 --> 00:08:46.740 a whole new realistic dimension to children's play experiences. 00:08:47.490 --> 00:08:49.560 And what about the incredible skills they're requiring? 00:08:50.535 --> 00:08:53.415 So often we avoid the use of tools because we are worried 00:08:53.415 --> 00:08:54.795 about children being injured. 00:08:55.185 --> 00:08:59.805 But I truly believe that if we expose them to real child friendly versions early 00:08:59.805 --> 00:09:02.985 on, children become adept at using tools. 00:09:03.464 --> 00:09:06.165 Heat and fire also fall into this category, which 00:09:06.165 --> 00:09:07.425 includes things like cooking. 00:09:08.084 --> 00:09:12.194 So depriving children of the experience is not the best way forward. 00:09:12.630 --> 00:09:16.829 We rather need to find imaginative ways to expose children to risky 00:09:16.829 --> 00:09:20.970 situations and teach them through well thought out experiences, how 00:09:20.970 --> 00:09:23.069 to manage risk for themselves. 00:09:24.240 --> 00:09:26.970 That brings me to a bit of exciting news. 00:09:27.300 --> 00:09:31.230 In the coming weeks, I will be interviewing Nature Pedagogist, Dr. 00:09:31.230 --> 00:09:34.770 Claire Warden, who is my mentor when it comes to play, and strategies for 00:09:34.770 --> 00:09:39.449 recording and planning, children's play experiences, curiosities and wonder. 00:09:40.155 --> 00:09:44.025 Another exciting guest coming up is Victoria Hackett from 00:09:44.025 --> 00:09:45.555 the Outdoor Classrooms. 00:09:46.095 --> 00:09:50.715 So that's two upcoming episodes that you won't want to miss out on, so 00:09:50.715 --> 00:09:54.225 make sure you follow subscribe so you're notified when those episodes 00:09:54.225 --> 00:09:57.944 are published because you seriously won't want to miss out on those. 00:10:00.015 --> 00:10:03.525 So I've chatted about the importance of play on children's overall 00:10:03.525 --> 00:10:08.235 development and how the element of risk enhances the play experience. 00:10:09.285 --> 00:10:11.955 Just for a moment, I want you to think about your favorite 00:10:11.955 --> 00:10:13.755 childhood memory around play. 00:10:14.324 --> 00:10:17.745 Cast your mind back to happy memory where you were playing. 00:10:17.985 --> 00:10:18.615 What was it? 00:10:19.125 --> 00:10:22.395 Were you alone playing with siblings or friends? 00:10:23.235 --> 00:10:25.725 Now for a moment, I want you to hold onto that thought. 00:10:26.235 --> 00:10:27.615 We're going to come back to it. 00:10:28.755 --> 00:10:31.995 So I'm going to have a look at different types of play now. 00:10:32.025 --> 00:10:34.875 So first, if there's pretend play or imaginative play. 00:10:35.310 --> 00:10:38.250 This is when children are playing with their toys and they're 00:10:38.250 --> 00:10:39.840 pretending to take on a role. 00:10:39.840 --> 00:10:43.320 For example, they could be playing mummies and daddies or setting up a shop or a 00:10:43.320 --> 00:10:48.390 restaurant or vet, or as I've seen many a child take on the role of the pet dog. 00:10:48.990 --> 00:10:50.610 This is imaginative. 00:10:50.640 --> 00:10:54.780 It's not real, but it is crucial for children to develop 00:10:54.900 --> 00:10:56.070 their creative thinking. 00:10:56.745 --> 00:10:59.324 Just because they say they're a dog, it doesn't mean they 00:10:59.324 --> 00:11:00.824 actually want to be a dog. 00:11:00.855 --> 00:11:05.115 It's just part of pretend play, and it's a very healthy part 00:11:05.115 --> 00:11:06.314 of children's development. 00:11:07.035 --> 00:11:12.435 Imaginative play would include things like dress up, so provide costumes or 00:11:12.435 --> 00:11:16.140 even just hats and links of fabric will do the trick so that children could 00:11:16.145 --> 00:11:18.765 actually invent costumes for themselves. 00:11:20.085 --> 00:11:24.255 Children only know how to be the vet, by the way, when they 00:11:24.255 --> 00:11:25.694 have seen a vet in action. 00:11:26.205 --> 00:11:29.145 So they'll need to go with you when you take your pet to the vet, or 00:11:29.145 --> 00:11:31.995 they'll need to get the knowledge from a movie or a storybook. 00:11:32.475 --> 00:11:35.445 And this is what we in education called building schema. 00:11:36.165 --> 00:11:41.925 To build schema, you will need to provide some input, some experience when 00:11:41.925 --> 00:11:43.875 children are engrossed in pretend play. 00:11:44.175 --> 00:11:48.135 And when they have that schema built in, they will be using language 00:11:48.135 --> 00:11:52.155 to express themselves, including the appropriate vocabulary. 00:11:52.740 --> 00:11:57.390 They're also learning social skills, like taking turns and how to compromise 00:11:57.840 --> 00:12:03.390 all vital skills and attributes that children need for collaborative learning. 00:12:05.250 --> 00:12:09.570 An added bonus is that you don't have to be there supervising or playing 00:12:09.570 --> 00:12:15.900 along because they'll instinctively know how to play structured play. 00:12:16.425 --> 00:12:20.745 We, you, the educator or parent, are putting out specific things that you 00:12:20.745 --> 00:12:26.145 want the child or the children to engage with to teach a specific skill. 00:12:26.595 --> 00:12:30.045 You might set up some sand toys, buckets, and spades in a sandpit 00:12:30.045 --> 00:12:33.885 because you want them to experience the quality of various materials or 00:12:33.885 --> 00:12:37.905 that the containers hold sand and water and what happens when sand gets wet. 00:12:38.025 --> 00:12:42.915 And to discover that whatever you place in that container takes the 00:12:42.915 --> 00:12:45.070 shape of the container or this. 00:12:45.930 --> 00:12:50.370 Might also be intentional learning when you might put out a game for children 00:12:50.370 --> 00:12:55.590 to play, to learn, or to reinforce a particular skill or concept, which could 00:12:55.590 --> 00:13:00.930 be anything from word games, memory games, dominoes, spinner games, matching games. 00:13:01.380 --> 00:13:02.370 The list is endless. 00:13:02.940 --> 00:13:07.170 The point is that you as the adult or intentionally structuring the type of 00:13:07.170 --> 00:13:08.850 play you want children to engage in. 00:13:10.050 --> 00:13:11.790 Then we come to unstructured play. 00:13:12.285 --> 00:13:17.655 This is free play and it's by far a child's favorite type of play. 00:13:18.225 --> 00:13:21.885 This is when children engage in play spontaneously with 00:13:21.885 --> 00:13:23.475 whatever objects are around. 00:13:23.865 --> 00:13:26.025 They invent their own play. 00:13:26.325 --> 00:13:28.035 They invent their own rules. 00:13:28.515 --> 00:13:33.075 The best unstructured play does not require an expensive or fancy toys. 00:13:33.645 --> 00:13:38.085 Some cardboard boxes, lengths of fabric, old sheets, tablecloths, towels. 00:13:38.444 --> 00:13:43.155 Loose parts like pebbles or small logs or sticks or other natural objects 00:13:43.155 --> 00:13:47.175 you have found on walks or at the beach, pipes and tubes, recycled 00:13:47.175 --> 00:13:48.795 materials, just about anything. 00:13:49.395 --> 00:13:55.185 If you wanna know more about loose parts play, check out episode 13 where I spoke 00:13:55.185 --> 00:14:00.645 to loose parts expert at Sharp to find out just how fantastic loose parts play 00:14:00.645 --> 00:14:02.835 is and how it benefits children's learning 00:14:05.115 --> 00:14:06.135 creative play. 00:14:06.510 --> 00:14:08.880 Could be structured or unstructured play. 00:14:09.300 --> 00:14:13.230 Creative play can also be seen as imaginative play, especially if children 00:14:13.230 --> 00:14:18.330 are engaging in drama or using objects To create sound, you just provide the 00:14:18.330 --> 00:14:20.880 materials for children to be creative. 00:14:21.330 --> 00:14:24.420 Things like paints and chalk and Play-Doh, and water, and spray 00:14:24.420 --> 00:14:27.720 bottles and paint brushes, sponges, just whatever you have at hand. 00:14:28.200 --> 00:14:31.500 And then you give them the freedom to express themselves however they like. 00:14:32.160 --> 00:14:35.070 I personally used to love those rolls of Ikea paper. 00:14:35.459 --> 00:14:38.370 You just roll along length off and then let kids create. 00:14:39.030 --> 00:14:41.969 And you know what I used to do with a paper once they finished painting on it? 00:14:42.510 --> 00:14:46.560 I use it as wrapping paper for friends birthday gifts or kids 00:14:46.560 --> 00:14:48.240 wrap gifts to parents in it. 00:14:48.329 --> 00:14:52.290 How cool is that When we're talking about creative play, we 00:14:52.290 --> 00:14:54.165 are including drama and music too. 00:14:54.204 --> 00:14:57.959 So ensuring we're providing access to open-ended objects that can be 00:14:57.959 --> 00:15:00.480 used creatively is necessary too. 00:15:01.410 --> 00:15:03.030 So what's the takeaway here? 00:15:04.005 --> 00:15:05.415 Play is learning. 00:15:06.045 --> 00:15:10.095 Play is essential to the healthy development of children's brain, social 00:15:10.095 --> 00:15:12.135 and emotional and physical development. 00:15:12.735 --> 00:15:15.885 Play does not always have to be supervised or structured. 00:15:15.945 --> 00:15:21.165 In fact, children's favorite type of play is free, unstructured, spontaneous 00:15:21.165 --> 00:15:24.255 play without any adult interference. 00:15:25.155 --> 00:15:29.805 So if you look back now at that moment, you were thinking about 00:15:29.835 --> 00:15:32.235 earlier at your favorite type of play. 00:15:32.295 --> 00:15:34.574 I bet that it was unstructured. 00:15:35.444 --> 00:15:36.704 I bet you felt free. 00:15:37.425 --> 00:15:40.185 I bet there were no rules imposed by adults. 00:15:40.875 --> 00:15:44.025 You did things your own way, in your own time, and more than 00:15:44.025 --> 00:15:47.685 likely, but not always, the experience was shared with others. 00:15:49.365 --> 00:15:55.814 Because play allows children to make their own choices, gives them agency, and they 00:15:55.814 --> 00:16:01.185 also in a very natural way, learn the consequences of their actions and choices. 00:16:02.145 --> 00:16:05.775 Open-ended materials, like loose parts, allow children creative 00:16:05.775 --> 00:16:08.954 expression and encourage problem solving and critical thinking. 00:16:08.954 --> 00:16:12.135 And above all, play is fun. 00:16:12.854 --> 00:16:17.895 If children don't feel an emotional connection, if they don't feel like it's 00:16:17.895 --> 00:16:20.805 fun, then it's simply just an activity. 00:16:21.285 --> 00:16:25.005 Like very often in the structured play experiences we prescribe to children, 00:16:25.905 --> 00:16:27.885 play comes naturally to children. 00:16:28.364 --> 00:16:29.505 It is through play. 00:16:29.895 --> 00:16:31.815 The children learn impulse control. 00:16:32.295 --> 00:16:35.415 And is that something that leads to success later in life? 00:16:35.835 --> 00:16:39.705 And perhaps those incarcerated men, the Dr. Brown study that I mentioned at 00:16:39.705 --> 00:16:44.235 the very beginning, perhaps if they had enjoyed unstructured play experiences, 00:16:44.505 --> 00:16:48.915 they might have learned self-control and not ended up in the dire state. 00:16:48.915 --> 00:16:52.155 They did just something that popped into my mind. 00:16:53.400 --> 00:16:57.060 So armed with all this information and the benefits of play, which by 00:16:57.060 --> 00:17:00.990 the way in Australia is outlined in the early years learning framework, I 00:17:00.990 --> 00:17:07.770 still have this feeling that bothers me as a curious, passionate educator 00:17:08.220 --> 00:17:12.000 whose main concern is the wellbeing and education of young children. 00:17:12.300 --> 00:17:17.520 I cannot help but ask questions around the lack of play afforded to school-aged 00:17:17.520 --> 00:17:20.130 children, especially in early childhood. 00:17:20.564 --> 00:17:27.494 When we know full well the benefits of play, perhaps the onus falls with 00:17:27.494 --> 00:17:32.655 education departments themselves and the ministers of education, and now 00:17:32.655 --> 00:17:36.524 we see that governments think that we'll get better results if children 00:17:36.524 --> 00:17:38.925 start earlier at three years of age. 00:17:39.044 --> 00:17:39.735 Now we won't. 00:17:40.425 --> 00:17:45.855 What we need to see is that children have more time to be children, to have 00:17:45.855 --> 00:17:47.774 the freedom to play spontaneously. 00:17:48.480 --> 00:17:52.410 So that their brains and bodies can develop healthily so that they will 00:17:52.410 --> 00:17:57.150 be ready for formal schooling, which I would love to see start at age six. 00:17:57.870 --> 00:18:02.190 I found a study, by the way, which I'll link in the show notes that found 00:18:02.190 --> 00:18:05.850 that children that did start formal schooling at age six and I quote. 00:18:06.554 --> 00:18:11.715 Are more likely to have developed the skills and competencies needed to 00:18:11.715 --> 00:18:16.125 thrive in a formal learning environment compared with their younger peers who 00:18:16.125 --> 00:18:18.435 start school in the year they turn five. 00:18:18.945 --> 00:18:20.534 Well, nevermind age four and three. 00:18:22.665 --> 00:18:27.225 With everything we know about the importance of play, governments 00:18:27.225 --> 00:18:32.264 still can't or won't see that this overcrowding of the curriculum, which 00:18:32.264 --> 00:18:34.725 not only contributes to teacher burnout. 00:18:35.280 --> 00:18:39.990 I believe student burnout and cognitive overload needs to change. 00:18:40.500 --> 00:18:44.340 We need to follow the early years learning framework guidelines, not only 00:18:44.340 --> 00:18:49.530 in kindergarten, but right through to at least year two with a stripped down 00:18:49.530 --> 00:18:55.770 curriculum that focuses on fundamental mathematical skills, daily, explicit 00:18:55.860 --> 00:19:01.560 and systematic teaching of phonics, and then interest led inquiry-based 00:19:01.560 --> 00:19:04.290 learning with play at the forefront. 00:19:04.830 --> 00:19:09.959 And then maybe we'll see not only our academic results improve, 00:19:10.530 --> 00:19:14.399 but children's social, emotional and physical competencies too. 00:19:15.389 --> 00:19:16.919 I'll finish off by saying this. 00:19:18.209 --> 00:19:23.324 The news and the media are full of wonderful work being done in Finn schools 00:19:23.324 --> 00:19:27.659 and other Nordic schools and in Japanese schools, and yet we continue along the 00:19:27.659 --> 00:19:30.689 same path, expecting a different result. 00:19:31.439 --> 00:19:33.030 What did Einstein say again? 00:19:33.780 --> 00:19:36.540 Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a 00:19:36.540 --> 00:19:39.149 different result is insanity. 00:19:39.659 --> 00:19:43.409 While I could not have said that better myself, I told you 00:19:43.409 --> 00:19:44.639 I'd get fired up, didn't I? 00:19:45.240 --> 00:19:49.110 I hope you do too, and it doesn't matter if you agree with me or not. 00:19:49.169 --> 00:19:52.919 What matters is that we look critically at the evidence and make 00:19:52.919 --> 00:19:54.929 decisions that benefit our children. 00:19:55.455 --> 00:19:58.815 Because they are the future, and right now it ain't looking good for 00:19:58.815 --> 00:20:02.775 anyone if we keep doing what we're doing because I don't believe that 00:20:02.775 --> 00:20:07.725 the decisions that are being made are actually for the benefit of children. 00:20:08.835 --> 00:20:12.135 Hey, I hope you found something interesting or worthwhile of 00:20:12.135 --> 00:20:13.845 your time in today's episode. 00:20:14.415 --> 00:20:19.125 If you did, then share it with someone you think might find it interesting too. 00:20:19.814 --> 00:20:23.715 Just remember that in the next couple of weeks, I've got the 00:20:23.715 --> 00:20:27.014 awesome Dr. Claire warden lined up and Victoria Hackett coming on. 00:20:27.375 --> 00:20:31.905 So make sure you subscribe or follow so you won't miss out on their wisdom. 00:20:32.504 --> 00:20:36.105 And check out the link in the show notes for all the links to the 00:20:36.105 --> 00:20:37.965 studies I mentioned in this episode. 00:20:38.415 --> 00:20:42.314 I'll see you next Tuesday and remember to stay blooming. 00:20:42.495 --> 00:20:43.245 Curious.