Academic versus child centered teaching

So, looking around at my college and observing all the movers and shakers, it seems like the focus on education started pretty early for all of them.  So clearly, early childhood education in the preschool years is very important for future success.  The main controversy is which type is the best type.

There are two main types of early childhood education, academic centered and child centered.  Academic centered education makes kids pretty passive when learning.  They sit in desks most of the day and are instructed by teachers learning reading, writhing and mathematic skills.  Now the clear advantage here is that these kids will enter kindergarten with more academic skills.

The other approach is the child centered approach when kids actively construct knowledge by exploring their outside world through free-play i.e. recess.  Kids in this type of environment show greater social competency and more creativity when solving difficult problems.

So which way is the best way.  Well, even though teacher's of preschoolers still pursue the academic centered approach, the child centered approach is actually the better method.  The passive learning established by the academic approach can actually cause kids to not want to learn because they do not find it stimulating and even though they show slighter gains in the short-run, children under the academic approach show less achievement than child-centered approach children in the long run.  I guess its true what they say about all work and no play.