Preschool Parents' and Teachers' Perspective of Learning Through Play

The purpose of this study was to examine preschool parents' and teachers' perspectives of learning through play. Forty four participants were identified; thirty were parents and eleven were teachers. Participants completed a survey created by the researcher. The survey was divided into four different sections: biographical information, short answer regarding the definitions of play vs. learning, general questions about play and learning rated on a Likert scale, and VPK skills divided into three categories of circle time, structured activities, and free play as to the best way to teach such skills along with what activities can be used for academic purposes. Parents' and teachers' agreed that preschool children can learn through play. However, there were no significant differences between parents' and teachers' perspectives of learning through play. This could be due in part to the sample sizes being similar in nature. Twenty percent of the parent population held the occupation of teacher. Implications of these findings are discussed for future research and practice.