Preschool and the Role and Value of Play

815 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: An investigation into the impact of parental involvement in early childhood education

In today’s preschool culture, the role and value of play is very important for children; a rich environment filled with playmates, opportunities to learn how to share, take turns, self-regulate, and make life-long friends only scratches the surface of why play is central for children’s development. Parents aren’t seeing what is happening: what they see as random play is actually being utilized to help the child grow socially, emotionally, and physically. Parents believe that children should be spending more time working at an academic level instead of spending their time playing with blocks, puzzles, or being with friends. Parents don’t realize that their child’s play is indeed their work; it’s just different than what people see happening in a typical classroom setting. Playing helps children grow and develop socially, physically, emotionally, and mentally; it wouldn’t hurt for older children and adults to play once in a while as well. Docia Zavitkovsky, a lifelong advocate of play, says “Discovering and questioning the world…gives children the tools to become creative, knowledgeable, integrated human beings ().” When a child plays with blocks, he isn’t just playing; he is learning how to use his imagination by building a house with an attached garage. The child is learning how different shapes go together and about the color of each shape. The child will even go through the process of destroying what he has created so he can start working again; every child you meet will enjoy that process. Play is a wonderful asset for our children and can benefit them in many ways: physical, language, self-concept, and social development are four examples of the different areas that massively impact a child’s development. The different play... ... middle of paper ... ...s imagination. I also plan on saving this essay and using it in my preschool classroom in the future; unless the district or supervisor calls for it, all technology in the room will be controlled by me and will be used strictly for teaching purposes. My children will not only know the value of play, but will get to experience it hands on. Works Cited Nilson, Barbara Ann. Week by Week: Plans for Documenting Children's Development. 6th ed. . Belmont, CA: Cenage Learning, 2012. 114-115. eBook. Gelman, Pam. "How important is play in preschool?."greatschools. greatschools. Web. 26 Jan 2014. . Snow, Kyle. "Research News You Can Use: More Threats to Preschoolers' Play." NAEYC. n. page. Web. 3 Feb. 2014. .

Show More
Related

  • Preschool: A Right or a Luxury?

    1969 Words  | 4 Pages

    Williams, Leslie R. and Doris Pronin Fromberg, ed. Encyclopedia of Early Childhood Education. New York: Garland Publishing, 1992.

    Read More

  • Child's Theory Of Play

    1219 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many theorists have tried to define play as a concept, however, no two agree on a set definition. Their backgrounds and induvial lifestyles influence the way they see the importance of play. Reed and Brown also believe that there isn’t an agreed definition of play because is something that is felt rather than done (Reed & Brown, 2000 cited in Brock, Dodd’s, Jarvis & Olusoga, 2009). In spite of this, it is clear that most theorists uphold the ethos that play is imperative to a child’s learning and development. There is a wide range of different studies and theories which helps us develop our own perception of what play is. In my personal experience I have found play to be a way of expressive our emotions, exploring and learning new things, thus

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Play In Children's Play

    978 Words  | 2 Pages

    Early childhood teachers often say that “play is a child’s work” while some parents ask ‘Did my child just play all day?’” (Rice 1). Many people do not realise how important play is and what role it plays in the development of their children. Teachers provide opportunities for children to have spontaneous, unstructured child-initiated play experiences by providing stimulating materials to “enhance and entice children into play” (Rice 2). These materials include loose parts and are open-ended and spark creativity by providing children opportunities to think, plan, and carry out their play (Rice 2). Limited learning may take place if teachers do not make play easier and maximize the benefits (Rice 2). Teacher support is also a necessary component

    Read More

  • Discussion about the Document of National Quality Standard

    1878 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ginsburg, K. R. (2006). "The Species of the World. " The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent–Child Bonds. USA: American Academy of Pediatrics.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Play On Child Development

    1664 Words  | 4 Pages

    A major question that is continuously being researched and observed is whether children’s play is beneficial to children’s development. While many scientists have proved that play is, in fact, helpful in the development of children, I want to research how the different types of play affect children’s development, specifically children that are transitioning from late infancy to toddlerhood. The four different types of play that I will focus on observing is exploratory and manipulative play, functional or relational play, social play routines and pretend play. Furthermore, I would observe the children’s agency during their play and the social structures that can prevent children from playing, thus, resulting in lack of development.

    Read More

  • An Essay On The Importance Of Play On Child Learning

    841 Words  | 2 Pages

    An Article by Dr. Leong and Dr. Bodrova (2016) stated that play is beneficial to children’s learning especially when it reaches a certain degree of complexity. When they engage in play activities most of their early years, they learn to delay gratification and to prioritize their goals and actions. They also learn to consider the perspectives and needs of other people and to represent things significantly to regulate their behavior and actions in a cautious, intentional way.

    Read More

  • Play And Child Development Essay

    2561 Words  | 6 Pages

    All children play and it is something that most children do because they are having fun, but without realising children are developing and learning skills when they are engaged in play. Play helps stimulate the mind as it is practical and gives children the chance to explore and experience new situations. It can also ensure that children get to think by themselves and be spontaneous as they control their own play. Children get the chance to be creative and imaginative which develops independence for children. Play is vital for child development and helps children develop five main areas of development:

    Read More

  • Play: Observation Interpretation

    898 Words  | 2 Pages

    Numerous sources have concluded that it is a necessity for children to have time to play for countless reasons; this includes the development of their mind and bodies. When observing a young child at the age of 4 on November 1st, 2016 I found information that supported why play was essential to children 's development. When conducting this observation I was unable to participate in the children 's classroom activities, but only allowed to watch and listen. During this observation, we were asked to pick one student to observe for this observation. I chose a student whose name was Wyatt, he demonstrated that play is a crucial part of their learning in terms of mood and interactions.

    Read More

  • Child Learning Through Play

    1857 Words  | 4 Pages

    Children have a natural inclination to play, alongside a natural instinct to learn and to be curious and inventive, which are characteristics of the human race in general. This quote taken from Janet Moyles is a good starting point for this essay. It is well known that children love to play. If a child were to be left to his/her own devices they would happily play and create new worlds anywhere they were left. It has been well documented and researched that children learn excellently through play. However they are not always given the opportunity to do so, instead being told to, ‘finish your work and then you can go play’. Obviously this is not always the case, but the fact that it is a common practice shows that we do not all fully appreciate the importance of play to children’s learning. This essay will attempt to show how children learn through play, making reference to current theory and practice. I will also give examples from my own first-hand experience of how children learn and develop as people through play.

    Read More

  • Similarities and Differences between Reggio Emilia and High Scope

    1688 Words  | 4 Pages

    ..., J., & Garzoli, E. (2007, November 11). The Effectiveness of a Play-Based Curriculum in Early Childhood Education. Retrieved from http://teachplaybasedlearning.com/8.html

    Read More

  • The Power of Play for Children

    1350 Words  | 3 Pages

    The book, Exploring Your role in Early Childhood Education, defines play as, “any activity that is freely chosen, meaningful, active, enjoyable, and open-ended.”(pg. 140) Play has many positive characteristics such as freedom to explore and create. Suppose when a child enters his/her classroom and has various self-selection activities available, the child can become engaged in something of interest specifically to that individual child. The book also states, “Play is active and is natural process of mentally and actively doing something.”(pg. 140) When children can act out or explore experiences they are having hands on experience and learning by actually doing. Without knowing it, children are practicing body movements as well as mental processing though acting imaginary games out.

    Read More

  • Play Influence on Child Development

    544 Words  | 2 Pages

    Children develop normally when they are exposed to different types of play that allow them to express themselves while using their imaginations and being physically active. According to the Center for Health Education, Training and Nutrition Awareness, “Play is child’s work”; this is true because it is a child’s job to learn and develop in their first few years of life, in order for them to do this, they play. Not only is playing a child’s full time job, the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights listed play as a right of every child. Through their full time job of play, the children develop emotionally, socially, physically, and creatively. Children need to participate in child-led play in order to facilitate healthy development of their minds, body, and creativity.

    Read More

  • Essay On Importance Of Play

    872 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Kindergarten school, some parent believes play is the best way for young children to learn the conceptions, skills, and set a solid foundation for later school and life success. In the other hand, many parents disagree and believe play is a waste of time, messy, noisy, and uneducationall. I believe play is not waste of time, but it something worth to fight for, in this presentation I would show parent the main importance of some of the numerous kinds of play, and why play is a fundamental basis for improving children’s ability to succeed in school and life.

    Read More

  • Play Importance Of Play

    1154 Words  | 3 Pages

    Holistic development of young children is the key determination and through play they are able to survive and become physically healthy, able to learn, and emotionally secure and into where they progress into responsible and productive adults with positive reinforcements in the future. When there are societal issues that are barriers such as “technology, childhood obesity, culture, etc.” (Gaston, A, Module 1, Unit 1, 2016), children are then unable to revel in freedom of movement in where play is adventurous and brings out positive behavior. “Play supports the holistic development through the development of intellectual, emotions, socially, physical, creative and spiritual” (Gaston, A, Module 1, Unit 2, 2016), signifying that holistic development is an important factor to be aware of as the child grows. An example would be when in Workshop 1 of Social and Cognitive Styles of Play, we had to play in the given activity for the time being and observe our members and distinguish what kind of cognitive play it was. And one of the assigned question to

    Read More

  • Preschool Education

    1134 Words  | 3 Pages

    What Kids Really Learn in Preschool. Parenting. (Fall 99):Vol. 13 Issue 7, p 74. October

    Read More

More about Preschool and the Role and Value of Play

Open Document