CHDV 110 Name: Jameelah Johnson Instructor: Sandy Visser Date: May 6, 2013 Victor Valley College
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Abstract: Have you ever been persuaded to do something that was in the best interest of your of child? Maybe it was your childs pediatrician who said that the flu shot was a good thing for your child. Instead you knew better and decided against it until they talked you into and when flu seasoning came around your child was the only one who did not get sick. That is what play does for your child. It is a different way to learn. Play Paper 3
Introduction Play is an essential part to a young childs development. When you first find out that you are with child it is one of the best feelings in the world. It takes nine months for that baby to develop inside the womb; after that nine months, you have this wonderful bundle of joy. As that baby grows up, they learn how to crawl, walk and of course how to get into everything. When time goes on they learn how to do different things by watching you and others. When they do something new we, as parents, are very happy for the baby. So when the little one is getting potty-trained we turn it into a game, make up songs, and many other things to get them to willingly participate. This also applies for when teaching at a preschool. First off, you have to make that child feel comfortable with you in the classroom, then you have to make them feel that learning is fun. This is why we teach through play. We all want the child to learn as much as they can; we as a team, both parent and teaching staff. There are four main domains in a preschoolers development that we will be looking at individually as well as how play influences the growth of each. Physical Development As a child grows from an infant to a toddler they have a lot of physical changes. They learn how to do different things like ride a bike, climb up a jungle gym, or learn how to skip, run and jump- all of which is learned by playing. When a preschooler learns how to ride a bike, he/ she is learning how to use their legs, arms, hands, and how to balance their whole body. They have to learn how to use their entire body as a whole. Cowling, author of The Many Things Preschoolers Learn Through Play, states, They learn how to use their muscles, coordinate what they see with what they do, and gain mastery over their bodies. When we play the game red- light green-light, we are teaching the children their colors, and how to follow directions. When Play Paper 4
you say green light they start to run towards you. Then when you say red light they stop. They are using their legs arms, ears, eyes, mind, and every muscle in their body to achieve their goal. Cognitive Cognitive development has to deal with the brain. Cognitive development is the construction of thought processes, including remembering, problem solving, and decision- making, from childhood through adolescence to adulthood. Maybe you are thinking How can a child learn through play? When a preschooler has to think about how to build something out of the blocks or even how to cook in the kitchen, they are problem-solving. They have to learn their four different shapes like a star, square, triangle, and a circle, the preschooler has to think about how to put each shape in the right spot. They are playing and they are also using critical thinking, and problem solving. This is how one can grow in cognitive development through play. Social Development There are five different types of social play. Solitary play, onlooker play, parallel play, associative play, and cooperative play. Each play is different. Play is a behavior that should be enjoyed (Berns, 2010, p. 292). Solitary play is when a child just play by themselves and they do not want anyone to play with them. For example, Sara is in the literacy center reading a book by herself. Onlooker play is when a child sits back and watches the other child play and does not interact with the children that are playing. For example, John and Mike are playing race-cars and Jose is just watching them play and will not join in. Parallel play is where a child is playing with the same thing that other children are playing with but, they do not play together; rather, the mirror the other childrens play. For example, John is finger panting his name and so is Sara. They both are using the same technique painting their name but they are not playing together. Play Paper 5
Associative play is when two or more child are playing just to have fun. No one is in control. For example, "Several children might decide to play monsters, and run around the playground, chasing each other. But there are no definite roles, and if one child does not run and chase, the others can continue to play" (Brewer J., 1995 p.141). Cooperative play is when you have a group of children and they are all playing together in one area with one goal in mind. For example, "When children want to play "store", one child must accept the role of store clerk and others must be shoppers. If a child refuses to play unless she can be the storekeeper, the play episode will end." Brewer J., 1995 p.141. Each and every one of these plays will be included in a day-to- day learning experience. Preschooler must be social. This is how they learn how to talk to their peers and how to cooperate with each other through play. Emotional Emotional play is the biggest part of play. A child needs to be able to express themselves in their own way. During early childhood, most children show great gains in each of these developmental skills. Advancing in emotional intelligence is a lifelong goal that can help people maintain emotional health and pro-social, cooperative behaviors (Oswalt A, 01/16/08 pg. 1). When you see a child playing or doing something else, it takes emotion to play. A child needs to feel and touch everything. They need to understand it. We as humans explore the world in our own way. Preschoolers have to explore their new world with play. For example, when Jackie and Jessica was playing in the sand box together and Eddie came along and wanted to play with them. The girls said, No, it hurt Eddie feelings. The girls knew that hurt Eddie and let him play after they said sorry to him for hurting his feeling. They put emotions into their play because they didnt want to hurt their friend. Play Paper 6
Conclusion Play has many roles in it. I have only covered four main reasons why preschoolers need to learn though play. There is much research done on the subject. Play takes many forms, but the heart of all play is pleasure. If it isn't fun, it isn't play. We play from birth on we play using our bodies (building with blocks) and our minds (fantasy play). We use words to play (jokes, wit, and humor) and we use props (blocks, toys, games). While the exact nature of play evolves, becoming more complex as we grow, play at all ages brings pleasure (Perry B, 2013). I can go on and on about why play is a very big part of how your child learns, but remember the next time that you are sing the cleanup song (and they start to cleanup. Just think that they learned it through play, and song how to clean their toys. They are never just playing.
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Reference Pages: The Many Things Preschoolers Learn Through Play, Tania Cowling edited by: Jacqueline Chinappi http://www.brighthubeducation.com/teaching-preschool/99029-how-children-learn-through-play/ Who Am I in the Lives of Children? Feeney S., Moravcik E., Nolte S., 2013 Child, Family, School, and Community, Berns, 2010 Encyclopedia of Children's Health http://www.healthofchildren.com/C/Cognitive-Development.html#ixzz2SH2Gv63Q Early Childhood Education, JoAnn Brewer, 1995 p.141 http://www.uen.org/utahlink/tours/tourElement.cgi?element_id=22927&tour_id=14045&categor y_id=19614 Early Childhood Education, JoAnn Brewer, 1995 p.141 http://www.uen.org/utahlink/tours/tourViewCategory.cgi?category_id=19614&tour_id=14045 Early Childhood Emotional and Social Development: Emotional Expressiveness and Understanding Angela Oswalt, MSW Updated: Jan 16th 2008 http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=12762&cn=462 Play Paper 8