Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Playing Is More Important For Children Rather Than Studying



There are two main things that has become controversy about what should be begun in our children’s childhood; education or playing time. Some people think that children should begin their education as early in their lives as possible. They believe that education is the most important. Others think that children should spend most of their time playing. Since one can only be young once, and once a child goes to school he/she can never go back for the missing times as a child. Therefore, their early life should be filled with a happy playing time. Here I am going to give some points of view about both sides of opinion.

It is important that some basic logical and verbal skills be learnt as early as possible. The argument goes on to assert that skills such as basic calculus and foreign language are much more easily accepted by the children when they are very young. Moreover, if children start their education early, they can have more time to perfect their knowledge later during their lives. In other words, a child with a lot of  responsibilities is better prepared for life in the future. He or she knows how to organize the day also knows how to deal with some problems and as all becomes more independent.

In contrast to the previous opinion, playing is important to be included in children’s childhood. This opinion comes according to the fact that their whole life will be most probably filled with working and studying so they should at least have their childhood. Furthermore, physical skills, which are developed by playing, are just as important as intellectual one. Just because they are playing does not mean they are not learning. Children can still learn a lot  of things through educational toys such as building blocks, puzzles, colouring books. In this way, they can learn at their own pace without any pressure of getting good marks or striving to keep up with the achievements of their classmates.  When children are not forced to go to school at an early age, they can spend more time with their parents. In fact, it is often claimed that children do not need teachers other than parents since parents know them best and are most committed to teaching them.

A child’s social, mental, and emotional skills are developed to prepare him/her in his/her role as a member of the society once he goes to school. His social life starts to develop as interaction with children of his age. However, meeting new people and doing things he is not prepared can be traumatic with children. It can also be source of inferiority to children who can not cope with the demands of school. Children should begin their formal education when they are ready and should be allowed to study and learn at their own pace. The fears and phobias in adults do not come when they are old and grown-up but they come from our childhood and most started when children begin their formal education.

Humans are only young once. If we allow our children to begin their formal education at a very early age, we will deprive them of their youth. Once they are sent to school, the harsh reality of life is presented to them. Their innocence is lost as they begin to do things on their own, struggle to cope with the demands of their schoolwork and adapt with children of different personalities. It can be traumatic for them. That is why children should be allowed to spend their time playing and enjoy their life as long as  they can. 

With both sides presented, I agree that children should be allowed to spend their time playing while they are young because once we get into the real world, there is no turning back. I think that children should spend their early childhood the way they like best such as playing and having fun with friends. They can still learn while playing because learning does not only come from formal education. So, let the children enjoy their youth happily.