A Running Start: How Play, Physical Activity and Free Time Create a Successful Child by Rae Pica

by Rae Pica

What parent doesn't want their child to achieve and get a head start on the path to success? But, life today for young children has become a dress rehearsal for type-A adulthood— a competition to be the best. Parents have been led to believe that enrolling their kids full time in special classes, extracurricular academics, competitive sports, and other structured, high-commitment activities will give them an edge— leading to a pressure cooker environment that can interfere with kids' natural development. Young kids can spend their free time finger painting, playing in the sandbox, inventing games, and still turn out to be smart, talented, successful adults. In A Running Start, renowned educational expert Rae Pica looks at the many misconceptions under which today's parents are laboring. Among them are beliefs that "earlier is better" when it comes to athletics and academics; achievement is more important than play. This book shows how learning through play is vital to a child's development and fostering their unique personality. A creative childhood is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children, and Pica offers techniques on how to raise a child with the right balance of play and structured activity.

Genres: Parenting

Paperback

First published December 20, 2006

Reviews

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been fortunate enough to work for Rae Pica, and I have used her books in college and work. This one is a great overview of what she stands for- the body and mind connection. A lot of the information was not new to me, but for someone with little early childhood knowledge, this would be the perfect way to learn about physical activity and how it effects children in life. She's a huge proponent of free play and recess with very little organized sports at a young age, and she can give you the research and experience to back it up.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the first few chapters quite a bit. And I absolutely agree with her main points: kids NEED more unstructured, unplugged time. In the chapters on education and the classroom I agreed with her main points, but the research she cites is controversial and she fails to propose a good alternative to testing to ensure all children get equal educational opportunities. In the chapter on self esteem the research she cited is weak and unimpressive.