--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: After decades of research about how…" description: "\"“After decades of research about how children learn best, here’s what we’ve discovered: Children learn through play. It’s the work of childhood. Childr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/laurel-schmidt-152796_childhood_after-decades-of-research-about-how-chil_1297214.jpg" --- # After decades of research about how children learn best… ![“After decades of research about how children learn best, here’s what we’ve discovered: Children learn through play. It’s the work of childhood. Children learn through hands-on experiences. Seeing, touching, tasting, smelling are the strongest modes for early learning. Children master communication…” quote by Laurel Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/laurel-schmidt-152796_childhood_after-decades-of-research-about-how-chil_1297214.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/laurel-schmidt-152796_childhood_after-decades-of-research-about-how-chil_1297214.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/laurel-schmidt-152796_childhood_after-decades-of-research-about-how-chil_1297214.jpg) > ““After decades of research about how children learn best, here’s what we’ve discovered: Children learn through play. It’s the work of childhood. Children learn through hands-on experiences. Seeing, touching, tasting, smelling are the strongest modes for early learning. Children master communication by having conversations. Children learn by trying to solve real problems. Children find exploration and investigation intrinsically rewarding. The driving force is “What if . . .?” and “I wonder. . . .”” Laurel Schmidt ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Children learn best through playful, sensory, and problem‑solving experiences, driven by curiosity. **In simple terms:** Playful, sensory learning works. Key Takeaway Encourage hands‑on exploration. Themes education play curiosity Mood joyful inquisitive Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - early childhood - STEM activities Key Concepts developmental science pedagogy Questions to Reflect On - How can you integrate play into learning? - What sensory activities boost understanding? A Different Perspective Over‑structured curricula limit curiosity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Childhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childhood/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Driving force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/driving-force/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) ## Related quotes > [Not by force shall the children learn, but through play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/not-by-force-shall-the-children-learn-but-through-play/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [“I can write about images from my own childhood for children today. I wasn't sure I could do this, but there was no way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-raskin/i-can-write-about-images-from-my-own-childhood-for-children-today-i/) [Ellen Raskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-raskin/) > [We destroy the love of learning in children, which is so strong when they are small, by encouraging and compelling them to work for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/we-destroy-the-love-of-learning-in-children-which-is-so-strong-when/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/play-is-often-talked-about-as-if-it-were-a-relief-from-serious/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [We have been learning since we were children how to make money, buy things, build things. The whole education system is set up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yakov-smirnoff/we-have-been-learning-since-we-were-children-how-to-make-money-buy/) [Yakov Smirnoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yakov-smirnoff/) > [Hoping to instill my love of learning in other children, I taught my first class at a local elementary school the year my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/hoping-to-instill-my-love-of-learning-in-other-children-i-taught-my/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [Implanting spiritual ideas in children is very important. Many people live their entire lives according to the concepts that are implanted in them in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peace-pilgrim/implanting-spiritual-ideas-in-children-is-very-important-many-people/) [Peace Pilgrim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peace-pilgrim/) > [“Parents stress the importance of learning to their children and carefully monitor their progress. Not infrequently, those children are well ahead of their Christian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gotz-aly/parents-stress-the-importance-of-learning-to-their-children-and/) [Götz Aly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gotz-aly/) > [“Fear of heights begins to manifest as soon as infants start crawling; fears of animals and monsters first appear when toddlers begin to move…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-del-giudice/fear-of-heights-begins-to-manifest-as-soon-as-infants-start-crawling/) [Marco del Giudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-del-giudice/) > [I was appalled at how children had become the focus and gravitational center of the nuclear family around which parents orbited instead of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-m-bardwick/i-was-appalled-at-how-children-had-become-the-focus-and-gravitational/) [Judith M Bardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-m-bardwick/) > [In early childhood, children develop a set of symbols that 'stand for' things they see in the world around them... Children are happy with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-edwards/in-early-childhood-children-develop-a-set-of-symbols-that-stand-for/) [Betty Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-edwards/) > [Learning to read and write makes little sense if you don't understand what you're reading and writing about. While we may have forgotten, most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-elkind/learning-to-read-and-write-makes-little-sense-if-you-don-t-understand/) [David Elkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-elkind/) > [We're committed to making sure parents have affordable, quality early learning for their kids - there's no question about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-trudeau/we-re-committed-to-making-sure-parents-have-affordable-quality-early/) [Justin Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-trudeau/) > [Head Start has been a key component of health, nutrition and early learning opportunities since the 1960s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-pritzker/head-start-has-been-a-key-component-of-health-nutrition-and-early/) [J. B. Pritzker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-pritzker/) > [“Early Learning is Vital.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-quinn/early-learning-is-vital/) Mark Quinn ## More Childhood quotes > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [“From childhood’s hour I have not been As others were—I have not seen As others saw—I could not bring My passions from a common…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/from-childhood-s-hour-i-have-not-been-as-others-were-i-have-not-seen/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [We were so poor as kids. I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) > [I had a rough upbringing. Group homes. Foster homes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-shamrock/i-had-a-rough-upbringing-group-homes-foster-homes/) [Frank Shamrock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-shamrock/) > [When I talk about my childhood I used to say it as if it was scripted and I'd make jokes because it was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-katona/when-i-talk-about-my-childhood-i-used-to-say-it-as-if-it-was-scripted/) [Kerry Katona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-katona/) > [Every man remembers his childhood as a kind of mythical age, just as every nation's childhood is its mythical age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/every-man-remembers-his-childhood-as-a-kind-of-mythical-age-just-as/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) > [It's a very familiar type of place where people either go to their house on the lake or they get together in different places.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/it-s-a-very-familiar-type-of-place-where-people-either-go-to-their/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [Ideal for the child and society in the best of times, Rudolf Steiner's brilliant process of education is critically needed and profoundly relevant now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-chilton-pearce/ideal-for-the-child-and-society-in-the-best-of-times-rudolf-steiner-s/) [Joseph Chilton Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-chilton-pearce/) > [Downstairs in my house, I have a museum room. I keep all of my awards down there, and childhood photos, and even all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-kelly/downstairs-in-my-house-i-have-a-museum-room-i-keep-all-of-my-awards/) [R. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-kelly/) > [Childhood is Last Chance Gulch for happiness. After that, you know too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/childhood-is-last-chance-gulch-for-happiness-after-that-you-know-too/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [On paper, it looks rough, but I had a great childhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-morton/on-paper-it-looks-rough-but-i-had-a-great-childhood/) [Samantha Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-morton/) > [Let positive, strong, helpful thoughts enter into your brains from very childhood. Lay yourselves open to these thoughts, and not to weakening and paralysing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/let-positive-strong-helpful-thoughts-enter-into-your-brains-from-very/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [I always knew that I was kind of bored; the regular life of a child didn't fit me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-ricci/i-always-knew-that-i-was-kind-of-bored-the-regular-life-of-a-child/) [Christina Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-ricci/) > [Children are not a zoo of entertainingly exotic creatures, but an array of mirrors in which the human predicament leaps out at us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/children-are-not-a-zoo-of-entertainingly-exotic-creatures-but-an/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I'm not sure I would have ever started to draw, let alone write, if my childhood hadn't been so happy. It was a mixture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/i-m-not-sure-i-would-have-ever-started-to-draw-let-alone-write-if-my/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) [Browse all 5,837 Childhood quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childhood/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“After decades of research about how children learn best, here’s what we’ve discovered: Children learn through play. It’s the work of childhood. Children learn through hands-on experiences. Seeing, touching, tasting, smelling are the strongest modes for early learning. Children master communication by having conversations. Children learn by trying to solve real problems. Children find exploration and investigation intrinsically rewarding. 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