This definition places the child at the centre of the activity and highlights the usefulness of play. It also raises questions about an adult’s role if a child is to be in control. Play is essentially a learning experience. It has an important role in social, language, cognitive, emotional and physical development of children. Play can be divided into many categories in the context of an educational setting two main groups seem to be evident, free play and structured play.
Lev Vygotsky’s theory was based on social/emotional development needs to show demonstration/imagination to allow a child to progress. His belief was based on the kinaesthetic technique as he believed that when children observe someone that is more advanced than them they learn from them and imitate their actions. Lev Vygotsky“...suggested that this silent inner speech and spoken social speech are connected...” (Meggitt et al, 2012. P.80). It is critical to link his theory to practice as it encourages/allows children to communicate with other children using their social skills which they have developed and allows children to build self-confidence.
There are a lot of similarities in Piaget and Vygotsky’s theories. They both believed that children should be active in their learning and that first hand experiences encourages a child’s national curiosity, they also shared the belief that play was a very important factor to a child’s learning. However Piaget believed that a child’s development is more internal than interactive and that children should learn to work things out for
As a mother and teacher I have always been fascinated with how children learn. When my own two children were small (birth to 5 years) I realised that the way they learnt was through playing. Educational and stimulation toys and objects were used to stimulate their learning. I remember the sheer delight on their faces when they were playing and the enjoyment and fun while they were playing. Lots of people have different definitions of play, and it’s value, for example, Froebel (as cited in Curtis & O’Hagan, 2003, p. 113) believe play develops from within the child, but the presence of the adult and provision of appropriate material nurture it.
First step is children to select the topic. Second step is field sites visits. Introduction The project approach model is an in-depth investigation of a topic related to the real world around children. “Including project work in the curriculum promotes children's intellectual development by engaging their minds in observation and investigation of selected aspects of their experience and environment. (Katz & Chard, 2000, p. 2)” The two essential elements of the project approach are “child-centered activities” and “social reconstruction”.
The importance of play in developing and maintaining a positive disposition toward learning for all children “Playing is a fundamental process of creative thinking, allowing the child to construct and reconstruct the imagery of rich early experiences, and thus to grow and develop (Frost 1986 in Puckett & Diffily 2004 p257) Play is a vital part of children’s holistic development and learning. It is as much a part maturation as language and social interaction, and allows them to ascertain their niche within society (Hyder 2004) In short, play accounts for physical, social, and educational development. The use of physical actions, acquisition of social skills such as sharing and co-operation, and gaining awareness of educational issues such as colour, shape, size and texture perception, are all accredited to play (Sperling in Martin 1992). Through play, children explore their own ideas, feelings, and emotions. Smidt (2007) adds that if a child is told to do something, or play with a specific toy, there is no real play, as “the child has not chosen to do this” (p8); play is regarded as something that the children have decided for themselves.
I will focus on how parents influence and support play and the very important role practitioners have once children start nursery. This essay will also draw on key Montessori principles and practices where work and play are unified and show how much play contributes and is vital to children’s physical, social, cognitive and emotional development. In conclusion I hope it becomes clear how play is an absolute key factor in learning and preparing children for tackling more demanding tasks in the future. TASK 3 QUOTES According to Macleod-Brudenell and Kay (2008, p207) “play underpins all development and learning for children young and old”. A child naturally wants to perform various tasks he sees happening in his environment and this is not seen as purely copying, but acquiring “social and cultural mores and expectations, as well as absorbing different ways of overcoming problems or accessing learning” (Morris-Coole, 2009).
Denisse M. Villalobos-Vega Professor Mark Schwartz English 101 5 December 2014 Toys Today and the Effect they have on Children As children grow up they learn new things along the way like how to crawl, walk, speak, communicate, express themselves in different ways, and resolve problems. Children learn these things through many ways, but playing is one of the important methods for developing. Playing covers a great part of a child’s development process. Also, it incites the child to learn because it is a fun and entertaining way of learning. In addition there are props such as toys that children can play with and manipulate.
Play therapists believe that the best way to diagnosis and treat children’s emotional and behavioral issues is to engage children in imaginary play, as children play out their daily life experiences through their most utilized and comfortable form of self-expression, which is play. It is developmentally appropriate and natural for children to express their emotions, fears, anxieties, and concerns through play. Typical childhood issues that are dealt with in a play therapy setting are depression, anxiety, conduct disorders, ADHD(attention deficit hyper active), social problems, academic problems, learning disabilities. Play therapy techniques have been around for many, many years and it is widely agreed that play therapy is an effective tool in working with young
Pestalozzi argues that play can benefit children very much. Children who play receive advantages of developing: universal learning skills, creativity and imagination, relationships, self-esteem, a natural love of learning, a basic trust in the world. References: Cameron. C, Moss. P (2011) Social Pedagogy and Working with Children and Young People.