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Importance Of Play Education And Development Of Children Under 5 Years

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Importance of Play in Education and Development of Children Under 5 Years
David Moore
Charter Oak State College

Introduction
The training and development of an individual begins at birth and continues well into adulthood. However, the first five years offer a strategic platform for establishing an individual’s intellectual foundation. Since, it is in these formative years that a child learns the language and simple arithmetic, which are rudiments on which further knowledge is built on (Burchinal, Roberts, Nabors, & Bryant, 1996). Nonetheless, Kohn (2015) laments that over the past 20 years; there has been a shift in paradigm in the manner in which children are taught. Initially, the play was the main mode of teaching children below the age of five; however, this has since changed to an instruction based approach. Is this shift from play to instruction-based approach commendable particularly in children under five years? Numerous scholarly articles have contributed to the debate. According to an observational study carried out by Leopold (1949), the play is vital especially in the early years of a child’s life. In contrast, Willis (1977) argues that classwork be critical since it is the parameter used by to award employment. Given the contrasting perspectives, the research seeks to identify the role of play as a construct in fostering to education and even development of children below the age of five years. Both structure and play are vital, as such; it is

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