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By
Catherine M. Pruissen
Play.
It's every child's favorite pastime. After all, you
are only young once. But is there more to play than
meets the eye? Believe it or not, play is actually
nature's greatest learning tool.
Free
Play
Take
for example "free period" at a daycare center.
Every day, for an hour or better, children play at
various centers. There is no teacher instruction during
this time. Each child, while asserting an independence
through choice, is learning something.
- The
children playing with the blocks are learning to
work cooperatively.
- The
role playing in the kitchen allows the children
to express their views of the world, to act out
while they play socially with their peers.
- The
art center provides an opportunity for children
to strengthen their fine motor skills by using scissors,
crayons, chalk, etc.
- In
the quiet area beads are being sorted into sizes,
shapes and colors. This activity fosters math readiness
skills in that sorting and classifying help the
child understand the actual concept of numbers whereas
memorizing numbers does not tell a child what these
figures represent.
Child
Development
During
"free play" children develop their social,
intellectual, emotional and physical skills.
Social
Development
When a child plays cooperatively with other children
he is learning to share, to work together towards
a common goal and to, at times, take on the leadership
role. These are very important social skills.
Intellectual
Development
All activities noted during "free period"
contribute to a child's intellect. Playing house demands
a grown-up attitude, complete with grown-up words
(vocabulary building), actions and expressions (emotional
development). When papa tells mama his bowl is empty
and mama tells him he's only getting 1/2 a bowl of
soup, their perception of size and volume becomes
quite clear.
Emotional
Development
During "free play" the room is filled with
children learning to deal with the complexities of
life. Johnny, who thrashed the block village because
he couldn't have Michael's truck learned from the
shock on Michael's face and the intervention of the
teacher that knocking over the village was perhaps
not the best way to get the truck. Susie, playing
alone in the quiet center is learning to deal with
frustration when she cries because she is having difficulty
stringing the beads properly. All the while the kitchen
is full of jubilant laughter.
Physical
Development
Cutting, pasting, drawing and stringing beads - these
activities develop the small muscles of the hand (fine
motor skills) which are used for later skills like
writing. Running, climbing, riding a tricycle or swinging
- these activities develop the large muscles (gross
motor skills), enhancing a child's coordination.
Teacher
Initiated Activities
Teacher-initiated
activities also foster a child's development through
play. For example:
- singing
develops both vocabulary and listening skills. In
order for a child to learn the new words in a song
he or she must listen carefully.
- Dancing
develops muscles.
- Art
and crafts unleash a child's imagination.
- Story
time builds vocabulary and listening skills while
turning a child onto the wonder and amusement of
books.
- Through
water and sand play a child learns about science
in a way only nature and hands-on experience can
teach.
- And
of course, outside play leads to a whole new world
of learning experiences from listening to the birds
and watching plants grow, to climbing the slide
and going down all by oneself (confidence building
- self- concept).
Age
Appropriate Toys and Learning Material
In
order for play to be a learning experience there must
be an abundance of age appropriate toys and learning
materials. Moreover, these toys and materials should
be stored in an orderly fashion where the children
can both see and find them. This is important because
when toys and their various parts are strewn about
they are not appealing and consequently are not used.
As a result, children become frustrated and show little
interest in doing anything much less learning in the
process.
Whether
a child is being cared for at home, at a daycare center
or home, play is essential. By understanding how play
affects a child's growth and development, parents
and caregivers can provide children with both the
opportunity and the materials to incite their inexhaustible
yearning to see how the world works.
To
learn more about play and child development visit
your local library.
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