Play is Learning is one of the best introductions to Joseph Chilton Pearce, one that embodies a number of his fundamental themes: ages and stages of development, the model imperative, the difference between real learning and conditioning (the behavior modification and training we call schooling) and how authentic play represents natures design for optimum learning and performance, at any age, meeting any challenge.

Learning at home without spending a dime
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I think what parents needs to do at home is to just make up their mind not to spend a dime for a while. Get a pile of rocks.

Play and what about clean-up?
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The essence of all learning is play, it’s how we learn about everything is to play with everything, then the more a child has to worry about who is going to clean up, the less they play. The less they play the less they grow in every way possible. So you have to give it some thought about what you’re going to do.

Passion and energy
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You want the passion and energy. Violence is what you don’t want.

Respecting individual learning styles
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One of the most important things they can think about is that parents will never lose their parenthood. And if we had started fifty years ago helping parents know how to advocate for their kid and the energy of the kid the world would be a different place. Schools would be different.

Bombarded with information – too little knowledge
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Parents have been bombarded with so much information, not knowledge. They don’t have the knowledge about children that I had, that I brought to my children. They are scared. They’re frightened. They don’t know who to listen to.