Children Making Sense of Their World was written to provide the framework for a play-based curriculum that also meets the need for documentation and assessments.  In an era where even pre-school teachers are concerned with academic drills and testing, this book offers lesson plans and research-based activities, along with sound developmental reasons for why children need outdoor play.  They argue children learn best through play.  They can and do learn everything from physics to social skills.  Social interactions are more vivid when they happen in a large space.  Children are empowered when they figure out for themselves how things work and satisfy their own natural curiosity. 

 

The book takes is based on years of practice with real children, researchers, and student teachers.  It offers a consistent theme of supporting teachers with concrete strategies for attaining quality programs by combining classroom ecologies with rich outdoor experiences.  The authors address the need for documentation and assessment, offering non-intrusive assessment methods and including parents as sources of information.   They encourage parents and teachers to remember why children need to play and not to let the process of learning get lost in the performance objectives of our standards-based educational environment.