Play As A Tool For Children’S Learning
Definition of Play
The primary objective of this text will be to look at play as tool for learning under. The definition of play can vary as there are many perspectives of what play is defined as. The Aistear curriculum framework has a simplistic view that play is a way of ‘doing things’, it also speaks about play being an intrinsic value to the well-being, development and learning of children. Play is also referred to as pleasurable, enjoyable, natural and voluntary. It is not compulsory but is freely chosen most of the time.
The definition of play also can vary according to theorists and there are many theatrical perspectives of what play is, according to Vygotsky, play is a principal source of development and a sector of proximal developments, play should be a support, where children take part in activities prior to what is expected for their age group in real life situations. According to Piaget, play is an action where children’s learning becomes whole.
Types of Play
Symbolic play refers to the fact that as humans we are independently prepared to use a wide variety of symbolic play. Symbolic play scaffolded for children’s development of technical capabilities to overview and beware upon their practices, concepts and emotions this type of play is shown through art such as drawing and painting.
Manipulative play is another type of play, which involves practising and filtering motor skills, this type of play it is set to boost physical dexterity and hand-eye co-ordination, it is thought that there is a period of time where children need to experience various different levels of manipulation, if they are to enhance their motor skills, this type of play is shown through manipulating an object or materials to their preference or what they want it to be.
Play with language, play with language is an extremely active process, it is an influential support for developing children’s language abilities and significantly through its care for phonological awareness. Young children develop early literacy skills and this rapidly turns to children moulding words, taking part in rhymes and eventually developing emotions such as laughter with language, this starts firstly with children below the age of one. As they grow older, they mainly play with the sounds of the language or languages they are hearing. They are hearing sounds everywhere around them and this type of play has been powerfully reinforced by Vygotsky (1986) while understanding that there are very close links amongst early drawing and writing in young children.
Pretend play gets children to use their imaginations. As they develop their imagination and their play becomes highly complex. Children use their language to move from thinking in concrete to abstract, this is shown by pretending with objects and movements to begin acting like real-life scenarios. Physical play, is a type of play that was the primary play source to evolve and can be observed in around reptiles and amphibians and most, if not all, mammals. Physical play involves kids developing, practising and filtering bodily movements and control. In children it includes full body movement, hand-eye co-ordination and stability. Therefore, children enhance control of their gross motor skills, through active exercise, like jumping, dancing, skipping and ball play.
Benefits of Play
The benefits of play for children’s holistic development, is that it progresses children’s understanding of their world and their involvement in it. Play increases brain development and growth, it creates new neural connections, and in a sense, it makes the child more intellectual, this is shown in terms of symbolic play.
Play benefits their enhancement and their drive to discover the world, making them willing to take risks to learn. It gives them the ability to have fun, enjoy, create and conquer their fears, while pretending to be an adult with other children or caregivers through role play, this benefit is shown in pretend play.
One of the benefits of play is the connections it develops, through play it tells children that parents or caregivers are fully paying attention to them and helps to build enduring relationships. For non-verbal children they can direct their thoughts, experiences, and frustrations through play, letting their parents or caregivers have a chance to increase their understanding of the child. It ensures that the ECCE sector, school and home setting look after the health, wellbeing and holistic development this benefit is shown in physical play.
Play benefits children’s emotions and behaviour as play condenses terror, unease, tension, irritability and anxiety and replaces it with encouragement for the child, this means that they can experience more happiness, intimacy and self-confidence, not created on other’s loss of esteem. Therefore, it recovers emotional flexibility, honesty, rises calmness, suppleness and the ability to deal with disbelief, shock and change. Meaning in the long run play can heal emotional pain. This is also shown in symbolic play.
The final benefit of play is that it encourages interaction with other children and adults by listening, discussing and taking turns in conversation. This then results in children expanding their vocabulary of words and phrases, showing the growing understanding of meaning and confidence for both giving and receiving information, asking questions, refusing, problem-solving and feelings. All the above is shown in play with language.
the Role of Observation in Planning and Providing for Play With Young Children
Observation can be referred to as viewing, paying attention and listening to children. Then taking that information collected and through this, it increases their learning and development. Observation plays a key role in the planning and providing of play with a young child, if the practioners’ have planned observation’s they can then add more detail about what and how children are learning. This observation is done by the adult viewing the child’s facial expression, gestures, body language and vocalisation.
Observation is also important because it can be used with babies, toddlers, young children and it is especially helpful with children who rely mainly on non-verbal or preverbal communication. It provides the play necessary for their needs. Therefore, the practitioner in practice has the task of ensuring the children’s developmental needs are reached, they will take these observations in order to plan for providing an exciting play environment to scaffold the interests and requirements of the children.
Practitioners are required to think about being approachable and inclusive. All children have the right to feel involved, it’s one of a child’s most basic needs, observation provides the play that is developing a syllabus, that answers and mirrors children's knowledge, social backgrounds and this continues to increase throughout their play environment. In the first tutorial, we took part in activities and games, the aim was that our lecturer and class got to know everyone’s name and more about their personality and experiences. We did this by sitting in a circle in the middle of the room, this was a great way to help the author engage with everyone as they were able to be seen and make eye contact. The class then put a word in front of each of their names, example, amazing Ali, and this went around in the circle, everyone saying everyone’s name all while throwing bean bags to one another while and talking about what we like doing. The author can use what they learnt from the activities, in practice, during the first week of a child coming into ECCE sector.
Three important practices I will do to support a child settle into the early year service, is let them gradually enter the early years’ service in steps with the caregiver and beginning one hour at a time until settled. I will also greet the child at their eye level so they won’t feel intimidated by me as a practioner and I will temporarily support the child by scaffolding them to move from one level to the next. It’s important to get to know the child, the strategies I will use to get to know the child is joining children in their play, providing toys and books that represent their setting and provide positive feedback verbally and non-verbally to the child.
As the writer of this essay, it is easy to understand, the concept of all the theorists mentioned above in relation to play being a key development stage of children, both in doing things and participating to their full engagement, which they may not be capable of doing at home or in real life activities. Connections, communications and sensory skills for play development are all involved when children’s learning becomes complete, it is easy to distinguish the types of play spoken about and knowing the benefits of play and knowing the importance of the role observation plays in planning and providing play for young children.
