In the article, "The Importance of Play," (September 2009) published in the early childhood education journal entitled Zero to Three, Stephanie Powers illustrates that children in our present time are not being immersed in enough forms of child-centered play. With the technology in use and the push for structured education in even our preschools these days, children seem to be missing out on a vital form of learning: imaginative playtime. According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), play is described as an inalienable right, not to be disturbed. Children thrive and gain knowledge from engaging in play with peers, caregivers, and family. One of the best ways to teach a child is through the experience they recieve each time a loved one devotes …show more content…
As early childhood education specialists, it is one of our duties to help relay this message, and to involve it in the classroom as we watch these little ones grow.
After reading this article, my eyes were opened as to how much we let technology into our lives and the lives of our children. On any given trip to the local shopping center, one can just happen to glance into a shopping cart and see a young one with their mother's i-Phone clutched in their hands, their eyes glazed over as they stare at the small screen that flashes vividly. The author, Stephanie Powers, makes a valid point when she mentions that though many forms of technology we allow our children access to are educational, we are not allowing them to be creative and activate their imaginations. They merely let something else do their play for them.