Play in Early Childhood

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Many early childhood education programs and elementary schools are moving towards a more rigid curriculum geared to new state standards and linked to standardized tests. These practices, which are not well grounded in research, violate long-established principles of child development and good teaching. It is increasingly clear that they are compromising both children’s health and their long-term prospects for success in school. Play in early childhood and elementary education must be restored so that children can reach their full potential. Healthy play does not mean anything goes, but children need a balance of child-centered play and focused experimental learning guided by teachers. Play is a major mode for learning in early childhood. Play leads to growth in all domains of child development-cognitive, social, emotional, creative, and physical. Play is the primary tool children use to explore their interests, express joy, and process their feelings (Miller & Almon, 2009). Research shows that children taught in a more playful manner almost always achieve more than children who are taught using a more direct teaching methods. Furthermore, the research shows that academic programs that emphasize more direct instruction show social and emotional consequences. These types of programs are creating students who are less likely to get along with their peers and feel comfortable in school, and more likely to show evidence of stress-induced hyperactivity, to be agressive, and to show anti-social tendencies (Gussen-Paley, 2010). There are many theories whose ideas support play in early childhood and elementary education. Piaget defined play as assimilation, which means that children make connections with their environmental stimuli to match his or own concepts. Children learn step by step through play and interaction with the world around them. Piaget also
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