Use Your Hands: Why Motor Skills are Just as Important as Math Skills

We all want our kids to be successful adults, so we make sure their formative years are as filled with potential as possible. Unfortunately, this idea has been taken to the extreme and kids as young as three are being drilled with facts and concepts, complete worksheets and are then rigorously tested. Achieving high test scores through rigid teaching methods have become the goal, when in reality, kids can learn more effectively through a play-based curriculum.

That’s right! Playing can actually improve a child’s cognitive abilities. Studies have found that a child learns best when they are engaged socially, mentally active and can make impactful connections with their environment. These are all components of playing.

According to a scholarly article,The Alarming Disappearance of Play from Early Childhood Education, written by Ageliki Nicolopoulou, the focus on academic performance through standardized testing is having a negative impact on children.

Many children struggle to live up to academic standards that are developmentally inappropriate … At the same time that we have increased academic pressure in children’s lives through inappropriate standards, we have managed to undermine their primary tool for dealing with stress – freely chosen, child-directed, intrinsically motivated play. Olivia N. Saracho

Think about it: when a child is playing by using their imagination and engaging with other kids, they are learning problem-solving skills, learning to work as a team, developing emotional skills like empathy and cooperation, and are being creative. These are critical skills that the child will innately have as they grow into adults and face challenges.

At Fort Mill Cooperative Preschool, it is our mission to help your child develop by meeting them where they are mentally and emotionally. By helping them learn by exploring the world around them, we are encouraging the natural development of academic, social and emotional skills that the child will continue to grow into. Creating a healthy foundation for that growth is what we strive to do, and we take our mission seriously.

Interested in learning more about our curriculum? Give us a call today at (803) 548-8123 to set up a tour of our community!