%0 Journal Article
%T LETTING THE CHILD WORK: REAL LEARNING, REAL PLAY IN SCHOOL
%A Deb O¡¯ROURKE
%J Journal of Unschooling and Alternative Learning
%D 2012
%I Nipissing University
%X Unschoolers, and those who practice democratic, free, and progressive education philosophies, are often uncomfortable with a particular choice their children make: as Summerhill¡¯s A. S. Neill observed: ¡°Every child under freedom plays most of the time for years¡± (1964, p. 116). Those who see children as active, motivated learners can be disappointed when, given an environment rich with fascinating choices, their children spend most of their time in fantasy. The families¡¯ discomfort can result in a reversion to more conventional schooling. Beginning with an early encounter with educational democracy during the 1970s at Toronto¡¯s ALPHA Alternative School, supported with commentary from educators from schools that took a parallel path, and from psychologists and education critics both historic and contemporary, this article gathers arguments that support play as not only a pleasure but a necessity for growth, learning and mental health.
%K unschooling
%K alternative learning
%K play based learning
%K democratic learning
%K Summerhill
%K free schools
%K Alpha school
%U https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fjual.nipissingu.ca%2FNewIssue%2Fv61215.pdf