John Dewey and How Children Learn Through Play

John Dewey, a prominent educational philosopher, emphasized the importance of learning through experience, which has direct implications for early childhood education. According to Dewey, children learn best when they actively engage with their environment and participate in meaningful activities. Play is considered a critical medium through which young children explore, experiment, and construct knowledge about the world around them.

Dewey believed that learning should be child-centered, focusing on the interests, abilities, and experiences of each child. In this approach, teachers act as facilitators rather than mere transmitters of knowledge. In PAUD (Early Childhood Education), play-based learning allows children to explore freely while teachers guide them to develop skills, solve problems, and make decisions.

Through play, children develop cognitive skills such as observation, memory, reasoning, and problem-solving. They also enhance their social and emotional abilities by interacting with peers, sharing, cooperating, and managing emotions. Dewey argued that these experiences are as important as formal instruction in fostering holistic development.

Practical implementation of Dewey’s philosophy in PAUD includes structured and unstructured play activities, hands-on experiments, and collaborative projects. These activities integrate learning objectives with enjoyable experiences, ensuring that children remain motivated and actively engaged in their learning journey.

By applying Dewey’s ideas, educators can create a learning environment where play is a central tool for discovery, creativity, and social interaction. Learning through play not only strengthens academic readiness but also nurtures curiosity, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities, laying a strong foundation for lifelong learning.