Laughter and Pleasure = Learning

“You must train the children to their studies in a playful manner.”
Plato (429–347 B.C.E.

” ‘Nothing without joy!’ Children expect from adults the capacity to offer joy. They expect everybody to be the bearers of joy.”

Loris Malaguzzi (1920 – 1994), Education Director, District of Reggio Emilia, Italy

“Proust described a glorious day in childhood made timeless through the ‘divine pleasure’ that is reading.” Maryanne Wolf in Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain. Harper Perennial, 2007.

One of my favorite authors, Marcel Proust, once compared special people to gardeners. He wrote, “Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” Who or what invites you to feel happy? Can you remember a time you felt your soul was blossoming like a flower?

I am happiest when I am with children. My friend Quinn says, “Nothing can make you laugh like a two-year-old can.” Please take a moment to share your thoughts on the importance of joyful laughter.