Play! Genius Programming SchoolStudy Contents

  1. Abilities that
    children can gain
  2. Why "Play!"
  3. What’s the STEAM
    learning program?
  4. What is a
    next-generation education?
  5. Study materials

Why not "learning" but "playing"?

Children can gain motivation, eagerness, perseverance, and exploration of their abilities by being exposed to “play”, as well as learning cooperation, endurance and communication skills by playing with friends. The abilities which cannot be measured by numbers (= non-cognitive ability) boost motivation for study and work, and further enhance one’s living power.

Why "playing"? 1Experience "Trial and Error → Resolution" in a play while having fun.

What is “playing” anyway? The father of developmental psychology in the 20th century, Swiss child and developmental psychologist Jean Piaget, Jean Piaget said “playing” is an adaptive behavior for children to learn and control reality. In play, children act spontaneously, and organically separate into unique roles by observing both individual specialties and on-going exercises that are solved as a team through group initiative.

When guided properly in an environment of play, children do not suffer from “continuous failures” by trial and error. An environment where students can repeat failures without feeling pressure is a great opportunity to collaborate with peers, think persistently, and be awarded with successful experiences by solving problems.

“Play! Genius Programming” offers a place to learn programming skills while experiencing trial and error and building solutions in a curriculum based on 13 themes based on “play”.

"Playing" is the best chance for children to learn by making mistakes with friends and then experiencing success by solving problems as a team.

Why "playing"? 2Develop non-cognitive skills by thinking about different and fun ways to play.

Leading scholar of Economics of Education and Nobel Prize recipient for Economic Sciences, Professor James Heckman, One is that if a government spends money on child education as public-policy, it is most efficient to spend on children in their early years. The second is that learning non-cognitive abilities in one’s early years brings future happiness and financial stability.

We call the inner ability that cannot be measured by an IQ test "non-cognitive ability", while "cognitive ability" is directly measurable by an IQ test, such as knowing numbers and writing letters.

This “non-cognitive ability” is gained through play in childhood that children can be engrossed in, through trial and error, and through spontaneous play that has been uniquely created. This motives children more to study and work. This is the basis of the research of Professor Heckman, which has been continually developed with ongoing studies and surveys by the “Perry Preschool Project” from the 1960s to present.

"The inner ability which cannot be measured by an IQ test would increase the motivation for study and work."

Our school does not just let children play without purpose, but instead emphasizes the importance of “the quality of play” in order to develop non-cognitive ability. Our curriculum focuses on bringing out children’s confidence by having them actively engaged in play, and by guiding and supporting them to prevent them from giving up.

"Perry Preschool Project" Professor James Heckman (Scholar in Economics of Education, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences)

Perry Preschool Project is an educational research project conducted by Mr. Heckman at Perry elementary school kindergarten for three years, beginning in 1962. The research was highly valued because it proved statistically that children with an education that developed non-cognitive abilities achieved higher academic results and higher earnings. The project is still on-going.

Have children design a style of play, and put it into practice. Then have them think of a way to make the play even better.

*Statistics of people at age 40 with curriculum based on daily "Perry Preschool Project" lessons, and those who did not have the lessons at all.

IQ is higher than 90 at age 5 61%
Basic academic ability at age 14 49%
Attainment of homework at age 15 67%
Percentage of high school graduates 77%
Employment rate 69%
Income is more than $20,000 60%
Car holders 82%
Accumulation of savings 76%
Parent(s) with children 57%
Home owners 37%
藤原和博氏セミナー「親は子供に何を残せるのか」 藤原和博氏セミナー「親は子供に何を残せるのか」