According to Rae Pica, author of A Running Start: How Play, Physical Activity and Free Time Create a Successful Child, "Today, we have considerable research supporting that . . . movement, play, and physical activity contribute to brain and intellectual development." Too often, she contends, we’re so focused on "achievement" and "competition" that we’re not allowing our children just to have their childhoods. We buy them the most high-tech gadgets and hurry them from one class to another, but "old-fashioned play and physical experiences offer the best opportunities for brain development"—NOT "the latest gadgets and gear."
In A Running Start, Rae Pica, an internationally recognized educational consultant in early childhood and movement education, shares her techniques for raising children "with the right balance of free play and structured activity." Topics include:
Keeping It Real: How Kids Really Learn
Ready or Not, Here Come Organized Sports
Helping Your Child Master Movement
The Real Standards for "Smart"
Is Your Child Playing Enough at School?
Finding the Right Organized Activity Program
You’ve Gotta Have Heart: Why Compassion Matters More Than Competition
Finding Creatures in the Clouds: The Value of Downtime
Getting Back on Track: Family First
You might recall Rea's previous work as she was host and co-creator of "Move for a Minute," produced by New Hampshire Public, TV and broadcast nationwide, from 1985-89.