In this contemporary setting, with the rapid development and progress of society, the members of the public have an increasing positive understanding and identity of education especially on infants and young children’s early childhood education. Thus the importance of play during children’s growth and development has been universally acknowledged, as “play is probably one of the most important elements of childhood.” (Bruce, Meggitt, & Grenier, 2010, p. 350). In this context, this paper will focus on why play is a framework for learning in early childhood education in Aotearoa New Zealand, and two theoretical perspectives covered in the course GD402 will be utilized to support my opinion.
First of all, although play plays a pivotal role in early childhood education, “it may be difficult to understand that play in the early years directly relates to learning” (Friedman, L., 2011, p. 97). So as an adult, we must first recognize through children’s play, they will gain the chance to not only fully recognize themselves, but also recognize the individuals around them and the whole nature they are being in, therefore they will achieve the holistic development of physical, cognitive and social skills. Take toddlers and young children as an example, “They use play opportunities, talking about and trying out ideas with others, and their imaginations to explore their own and others’ cultures and identities.” (Ministry of Education, 2017, p. 15)
So as the first theoretical
Fuller and Strath (2001) conducted a quantitative research study that examined local populations of early education organizations based on the 1990 household census data to report features of the early childhood workforce nationwide. Multiple economic and regulatory forces shaped the population of early education organizations that operated within states and local communities. The median center-based teacher was 34 years of age, reported having completed some college, and was married. The median family childcare home provider had a high school diploma. Fifteen percent of all preschool teachers in urban areas were African American and 8% were Latina.
It has been shown that play is very important to a childâ€TMs learning. Learning through play helps a child make positive contribution.
Play accompanies and encourages development while keeping the child interested and engaged (Thompson, Stanford,
For this extended assignment I am going to focus on play and the importance of play is for children and young people. I am going to focus on children up to age of 6. “Play is a spontaneous and active process in which thinking, feeling and doing can flourish.” (http://www.playwales.org.uk/ ). Play is Important for children and young people’s as it can help children to build their confidence.
The key features of an effective play based learning environment are that children able to play uninterrupted for long periods of time and are able to choose from a range of resources and areas, letting them choose activities on their own accord. Children are able to develop a wide variety of skills by having lots of various resources to choose from. 2.5 Explain why both adult initiated and child initiated play and learning activities are important for children from birth to five years In an Early Years setting we allow children to participate in child initiated play. By allowing children to choose which resources they would like to play with let’s them explore their favourite type of activity, and have a sense of independence.
Even if you’re not involved in their play it offers a sense of reassurance to children. You can also support a play based approach to learning by encouraging children to play with things they may not have played with before e.g playing with the resource yourself alongside the child. If a child sees what you can do with the resource then they are more likely to eventually participate along side you, copying what you are doing. 4.3 Evaluate different materials and equipment to support play based learning opportunities for children in their early years
Introduction Developmental psychology makes an attempt to comprehend the types and sources of advancement in children’s cognitive, social, and language acquisition skills. The child development theories put forward by both Jean Piaget and Erik Erikson have had substantial impacts on contemporary play therapy. In this essay, I aim to highlight the contribution of these two theorists in their study of various developmental stages, the differences and similarities in their theories, and their contributions to the theory and practice of play therapy. Jean Piaget
Children are able to develop and practise motor skills and bodily movements through physical plays. During some cognitive games, such as board games and educational toys, children can improve their mental fitness and brain function. Play also provides opportunities for children to make friends, to negotiate with others, and to develop their communication skills. It helps extend language and improve children’s social ability. I believed that play is essential to children’s education that cannot be minimized and separated from learning.
In general, playing is the mutual popular activity among children because playing is fun and flexible, it can be personal, with the presence of others or with the social presence of others (De Kort & Ijsselsteijn, 2008). The researchers and experts believe that the power of play has an important psychological role in children’s development, as reinforced by Sutton-Smith (1993, p. 279) using “play as progress” and “play ethos” by Peter Smith (1988, p. 166) both cited in Pellegrini (1995). Goldstein (2012) stated that pretend play is one of the common types of interactive social play among 2- to 6-years-old children. He also mentioned that as children grow, the nature and function of pretend play will also change from simple imitation to more
When arranging activities for play based learning within early years provision there can be barriers towards it from taking place. Before the week begins, planning is needed. When planned activities are prepared resources are needed too. Resources can become a barrier towards play. This is because the resources that were needed were not available to be used.
Understanding the world • The way in which children find out about nature and the world around them. • How children find out about their local communities. • The way in which children develop their confidence when using ICT equipment. Expressive arts and design • The development of children‘s creativity and imagination through art , dance and music . • How children use play to develop these skills Personal , social and emotion development
It is important that children are able to receive holistic care while in a play environment, both inside and outside. Some of the principles which would apply to both indoor and outdoor play include a child centred practice, ensuring the child 's welfare and safety, promoting a child 's rights, and enabling a child to reach their full potential. It is important that we provide a child centred practice, as it promotes a child 's learning and development through play. By having a child centred approach, we should support the children giving them guidance, but to allow the opportunities for them to learn independently, instead of taking over an activity and showing them. It encourages us as practitioners, to encourage children to explore and to make their own
Despite it being easy to list down various play activities, it is difficult to come up with a set definition for it although it is widely accepted that play should very much be free, unstructured and mostly child-initiated. The purpose of play and the supposed benefits the different types of play aids in the development of a child will be further discussed. Given that play is such an integral part of a child’s life, based on evolutionary perspectives, there has to be a reason why children engage in play and thus classical play theories attempt to explain the purpose of play.
Introduction Developmental psychology makes an attempt to comprehend the types and sources of advancement in children’s cognitive, social, and language acquisition skills. The pioneering work done by early child development theorists has had a significant influence on the field of psychology as we know it today. The child development theories put forward by both Jean Piaget and Erik Erikson have had substantial impacts on contemporary child psychology, early childhood education, and play therapy. In this essay, I aim to highlight the contribution of these two theorists in their study of various developmental stages, the differences and similarities in their theories, and their contributions to the theory and practice of play therapy.
THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IN THE USA 1.Introduction Early childhood is an essential stage of life in terms of a child 's physical, intellectual, emotional and social development. Growth of mental and physical abilities progress at an amazing rate and a very high proportion of learning takes place from birth to age six. It is a time when children particularly need high quality personal care and learning experiences. Approximately 60 to 70 percent of preschool-age children in the USA attend an early childhood program or child care program out of the home, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.