Live Oak Preschool to sponsor free lecture on play-based learning Oct. 22

Play is an important part of life for all of us—especially, it turns out, for little kids.
This will be the theme next week when a local expert in early childhood education takes the stage at Healdsburg SHED to deliver a free lecture on the benefits of learning through play.
The expert, Dr. Thomas Armstrong, spends at least part of every year in Cloverdale and serves as executive director of the American Institute for Learning and Human Development.
His talk, titled, “Play Matters,” is sponsored by Live Oak Preschool. It is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22.
Over the course of the hour-long talk, Armstrong will discuss why play is so critical, how play is being lost in today’s fast-paced technological world, and how to create a climate where play can arise naturally.
He also will share his perspective on the five characteristics that should guide instruction regardless of content or grade level: freedom to choose, open-ended exploration, freedom from judgment, honoring every student’s experience and belief in every student’s genius.
“I suggest that play is the crucial need for preschoolers and kindergarteners, and that current high pressure academic practices in early childhood education be abandoned as harmful to their growth and development,” he said. “Each child comes into life with wonder, curiosity, awe, spontaneity, vitality, flexibility and many other characteristics of a joyous being, and it is imperative that we, as educators and parents, help preserve these genius characteristics of children as they mature into adulthood.”
The talk is part of an ongoing effort at Live Oak to educate parents on the importance of play-based learning. Unlike other preschools, which emphasize adherence to a rigid curriculum, Live Oak prioritizes education through experimentation.
Last year, the school unveiled an advertising campaign around this concept; the ads depict kids engaging in seemingly innocuous activities, then explain how those activities teach important skills as well.
One ad shows a young girl building marshmallow houses; the ad explains she’s actually sharpening fine motor skills.
Therese Walker, executive director of the preschool, said the school aims to motivate children to learn by doing, and to participate in their learning while acquiring new knowledge and skills.
“At Live Oak, we feel it is important to give children time to explore on their own while being assisted by teachers who might provide different tools or materials a child needs,” said Walker, who has helmed the school since 2007. “They probably learn more about how gravity works building with blocks than any teacher could ever verbally explain to them.”
Armstrong’s lecture is a good example of local organizations working together for the good of the community. Live Oak footed the bill for Armstrong’s speaker fees. Cindy Daniel and Doug Lipton, co-owners of Healdsburg SHED, donated their upstairs Grange space for the event.
Daniel and Lipton have a special connection to Live Oak; their (now-adult) sons, Henry and Oliver, attended Live Oak in the 1990s. “[Doug and I] are very interested in education, especially the ways different individuals grow and learn,” she said last week. “We felt the program would be a meaningful opportunity for young parents.”
The event itself is free but RSVP is required. Drinks and light nibbles from SHED will be available for purchase between 6:30-7 p.m. For more information or to reserve seats at the event, call Live Oak at 433-1543.
Matt Villano, a Healdsburg writer, serves on the Board of Directors of Live Oak Preschool.