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MDAEYC

MDAEYC

MDAEYC promotes high-quality early learning for all children, birth through age 8, by connecting practice, policy, and research.

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True or false? Test what you know about the science of play. Pediatricians have been advised to “prescribe” play. TRUE. In 2018, the American Academy of Pediatrics urged doctors to write a “prescription for play” at well-child visits, because play builds the skills children need to thrive. Guided play can beat direct instruction for early math. TRUE. A 2022 research review in Child Development found that guided play, where adults set up the experience and children lead the exploring, had a greater effect on early math skills than direct instruction. Play and academics are opposites. FALSE. Well-designed play is academic learning. Children need both free play and playful learning guided by a skilled adult. How many did you get right? Tell us in the comments. Dig into the science at PLAY WORKS, Saturday, Nov. 7 in Bowie. Registration closes Thursday, Nov. 5. Link in bio. Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics, “The Power of Play,” Pediatrics, 2018; Skene et al., Child Development, 2022 #PlayWorks #MDAEYC #ScienceOfPlay #EarlyChildhood #PlayBasedLearning Three days left to register for PLAY WORKS. Registration closes this Thursday, Nov. 5, and you won’t want to miss how the day ends: our Closing Plenary Fireside Chat with Ralph Smith (Campaign for Grade-Level Reading), Dr. Alissa Mwenelupembe (NAEYC), Sarah Neville-Morgan (MSDE Office of Early Childhood) and Kristen Paul (The Parents’ Place of Maryland), moderated by MDAEYC President Christina Lopez. Joyful, child-guided play and strong academic outcomes belong together. Come hear why, and what it means for Maryland’s children. Saturday, Nov. 7 in Bowie | 6.0 COK hours | Teams of 3+ save 50%. Link in bio. #PlayWorks #MDAEYC #EarlyChildhood #BlueprintMD Happy Election Day! Don’t forget to vote today. And while you’re at it, cast a ballot for joy. Joyful, playful learning is how children grow, and how we grow as educators too. Join us at PLAY WORKS on Saturday, Nov. 7 in Bowie for a day of learning, connection and play. Registration closes this Thursday, Nov. 5. Link in bio. #PlayWorks #MDAEYC #ElectJoy #ElectionDay #EarlyChildhood Where did play go? Children’s unstructured play time fell by 25% between 1981 and 1997, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Since then, packed schedules, screens and pressure to start academics earlier have crowded it out even more. That matters. Play is how young children build language, problem-solving, self-regulation and the confidence to try hard things. When play disappears, so do some of the most powerful learning moments of early childhood. At PLAY WORKS, we’re making room for play again: the science behind it, and practical ways to bring it back into every classroom and program. Saturday, Nov. 7 in Bowie | 6.0 COK hours. Registration closes Thursday, Nov. 5. Link in bio. Source: American Academy of Pediatrics, “The Power of Play,” Pediatrics, 2018 #PlayWorks #MDAEYC #ScienceOfPlay #EarlyChildhood #PlayBasedLearning We saved the best for last. Swipe to meet the leaders closing PLAY WORKS. Our Closing Plenary Fireside Chat brings together national and state voices on why joyful, child-guided play and strong academic outcomes belong together: Meet the panel: Ralph Smith is Managing Director of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, a national effort to improve early school success, from on-track development by the end of kindergarten to reading on grade level by the end of third grade, so more children can break the cycle of poverty. Dr. Alissa Mwenelupembe is Chief Early Learning Quality & Research Officer at NAEYC, the national organization that sets the standard for high-quality early learning. A former toddler teacher and center director, she led NAEYC’s program accreditation and helped shape its position statement on advancing equity. Sarah Neville-Morgan is Assistant State Superintendent for MSDE’s Office of Early Childhood, which leads early care and education across Maryland. Before coming to Maryland, she helped lead California’s rollout of universal pre-K and the inclusion of children with disabilities in state preschool. Kristen Paul is Director of Early Childhood Programs at The Parents’ Place of Maryland, which helps families advocate for their children, including children with disabilities. With 25+ years as a teacher and family support specialist, she is Maryland’s CDC Act Early Ambassador and a 2025 DEC Family Award recipient. Moderated by MDAEYC President Christina Lopez. Saturday, Nov. 7 in Bowie. Registration closes this Thursday, Nov. 5. Don’t miss it. Register today: Link in the bio. #PlayWorks #MDAEYC #EarlyChildhood #BlueprintMD #PlayBasedLearning What brings you joy? For children, it might be a puddle, a box, or a friend who says “let’s pretend.” For us, it might be a classroom full of laughter, a perfect read-aloud, or the moment a child figures something out on their own. Joy isn’t extra. It’s how children learn, and it’s how we keep growing as educators. Tell us in the comments: what brings you joy, in your work or in your life? We’re celebrating play and joyful learning at PLAY WORKS, Saturday, Nov. 7 in Bowie. Link in bio. #PlayWorks #MDAEYC #JoyfulLearning #EarlyChildhood #PlayIsTheWork #Maryland #EarlyChildhoodEducation #EarlyChildhoodEducators #PlayBasedLearning #ScienceOfPlay #Kindergarten #childcare #childadvocacy One week from today, Maryland’s early childhood community comes together to play, laugh and learn at PLAY WORKS, MDAEYC’s first annual Play Conference. Start the day with keynote Jeff Harry. Get hands-on in sessions built around play. Explore the Lakeshore Play Lab and play inside and out. Close with a fireside chat with state and national leaders on how joyful learning powers the academic gains Maryland’s Blueprint calls for. Saturday, Nov. 7 | Comfort Inn Conference Center, Bowie | 6.0 COK hours Bringing your team? Groups of 3 or more save 50%. Email conference@mdaeyc.org. Register at the link in bio. #PlayWorks #MDAEYC #EarlyChildhood #PlayBasedLearning #MarylandEducators Play or academics? It's the wrong question. New America calls "play versus academics" one of the most unfortunate false choices in early education. Children need both unstructured free time and playful learning guided by a skilled adult, and well-designed curricula make academic content meaningful and engaging. At PLAY WORKS, we'll dig into what that looks like in real classrooms and programs, from loose parts that meet standards to movement that moves learning. Register today to be a part of the conversation. November 7 · Bowie · mdaeyc.org/conference · Link in the bio Source: New America, "Play and Academics: Debunking Either/Or False Choices about Pre-K Curricula," 2026 #Maryland #PlayWorks #EarlyChildhoodEducation #EarlyChildhoodEducators #PlayBasedLearning #ScienceOfPlay #Kindergarten #childcare #childadvocacy 10 days until PLAY WORKS. Meet our keynote speaker, Jeff Harry. Named one of the Top 100 HR Influencers, Jeff got his start helping build one of the largest LEGO-inspired STEM programs for kids in the U.S. Today he brings play to teams at Google, Microsoft, the NFL, Amazon and Southwest Airlines, and he’s been featured in The New York Times, NPR, Wired and Forbes. His keynote, “Your Future Is Where the Fun Is,” will have you laughing, moving and rediscovering your own play. As Jeff says, “Play is the opposite of perfection.” Then, at lunch, go play. Explore the Play Lab, step outside for outdoor play, games and music, and you could win Play Lab items for your classroom, thanks to the generous support of Lakeshore Learning. Bring a team. Save big! Coming with 3 or more? Email conference@mdaeyc.org to unlock our group discount. Saturday, Nov 7 | Bowie, MD 6.0 COK hours | Lunch included Register: Link in Bio Learn more about Jeff: rediscoveryourplay.com #PlayWorks #MDAEYC #EarlyChildhood #PlayBasedLearning #Maryland #EarlyChildhoodEducation #EarlyChildhoodEducators #ScienceOfPlay #Kindergarten #childcare #childadvocacy
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MDAEYC promotes high-quality early learning for all children, birth through age 8, by connecting practice, policy, and research.
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