Let 'em be kids: A new report suggests a balance of unstructured and structured play helps children excel in school

May 31, 2010

A new report on children in the Niagara region, Niagara Children's Charter Enacted found a possible connection between a child's readiness to learn at school and the type of play they are engaged in. The results of the study indicated that children who were involved in highly structured physical activity were less prepared to succeed in school, while that those who had a balance between organized sports and free play were more prepared to succeed in school.

The study included surveys completed by kindergarten teachers that measured five developmental areas of their students: physical health, emotional maturity, language development, social competence and communication skills in addition to surveys completed by the students' parents regarding their children's frequency and participation in organized team sports in their preschool years.

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