How do children learn through play? How does teacher intervention support or limit learning through play? Give examples from practice to support your answer. I will explore definitions of play in this essay and will then investigate the role of play in children’s learning. I will also examine the role of the teacher in supporting children’s learning through play and draw on from my own experiences of observing children at play.
Unit 48 Promote creativity and creative learning in young children Outcome1.1 Analyse the differences between creative learning and creativity. Creative learning is about imaginative thinking and problem solving, and to see how children are involved in their own learning and ability to make choices and decisions. This can be achieved through providing a creative environment through play and pairs them for their creative efforts. Creativity is about play and exploration, by allowing children to explore and express themselves through different ways like music, dancing, drawing, painting, and making things. Outcome 1.2 Explain current theoretical approaches to creativity and creative learning in early childhood.
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.
As a teacher it is important to know that before we can consider the contribution of play to a child’s learning it is important to know that there is different types of play and also various stages of play. Active Play:
It’s about bringing imagination to life. Creativity consists of traditional creative arts and the development of imagination and imaginative play, such as role play and small world play. It’s about risk taking and making connections, allowing children to explore and express themselves through a variety of media or materials including, dance, music, making things, drawing, painting and make believe and to make new things emerge as a result. Being creative is strongly linked to play and can occur through a child being absorbed in their own actions and ideas. Children can explore their emotions and it is only partly about producing an end product and is more about children enjoying the process and learning from it.
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.
Children’s play is a skill in which the therapists have mastered due to their use of play on a daily basis. Furthermore, the play environment is one in which they feel safe and comfortable. As adults use verbal communication as their direct way of self-expression, children use play as their form self-expression. I had once read somewhere that “toys are a child’s words and play is their language.” I believe that is an excellent description of a child’s world. 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.
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
It is a process of development and describes the inventiveness of ordinary people rather than extraordinary contributors. Children are being creative when they use materials in new ways or merge new materials; they are creative when they make discoveries that are new to them. When children are being creative they go further than the information given to create something new and original for them. For young children, the process of creativity – which includes curiosity, exploration, play and creativity – is as important as any product they may create. Gopnik, Meltzoff and Kuhl (2001) describe how children are born with a strong desire to explore the world around them and from this innate curiosity creativity develops.
Children are complex thinkers and they need to be prepared and encouraged to play and to think . Early childhood educators should help children to explore their world through play, imitation and exploration. Children should be supported to become thinkers too. Extending their thinking with variety, stimulation, materials and experiences. ( Nutbrown, 2006) Humans are unique in being able to communicate symbolically.