Taking imagination one step at a time may help

For more than two decades, parents and educators have worried about the lack of play in classroom settings, according to a report published in the March-April 2009 issue of Exchange: The Early Childhood Leaders’ Magazine Since 1978.

“Finally,” says C. J. Ellis of KidsReadUs.com, the profound effects of play in helping children become successful are being recognized by the media.”

Karen Stephens, author of “Imaginative Play during Childhood: Required for Reaching Full Potential," agreed in her recent report published by Exchange Press: “No longer are the benefits of play left sitting in the archives of academic journals,” adding that early childhood educators now have a more powerful tool to use with parents and community leaders.

Stephens’ article confirmed that a child’s self-initiated play — his or her imagination — nurtures overall development, not just cognitive development, such as learning to name colors, numbers, or shapes.

In fact, educators are finally realizing that there is a strong case supporting the role of childhood play in realizing positive development into a civilized adult.

For children, true play is a critical need, not just a fanciful frill, Stephens emphasized.

By recognizing the ongoing need for imaginative play protocols, parents can reinforce the need to take let their child’s imagination grow one step at a time — and never stop Letting Their Imagination Fly!

[Stephens is director of the Illinois State University Child Care Center and a frequent contributor to the Child Care Information Exchange.]